Born of End Darkness and Celestial Light
by TheEarthbendingRavenclaw
Summary: The impending arrival of a new baby should be a happy time. Things have never been that easy for the members of Fairy Tail, though. With plenty of old enemies seeking revenge, can our heroes protect the next generation? (NatsuXLucy, hints of GrayXJuvia, GaljeelXLevy, ErzaXJellal, MirajaneXLaxus) (Cover image done by CaraA on pinterest: /xillaranda/)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

 _Pain._

 _That was the first thing the man noticed as he opened his eyes._

 _Pain, all over his body. Stiffness. Like he'd been tied to a board and forced to lie perfectly still for days on end. Well, he had in a way. Though he hadn't litteraly been tied down._

 _Wind. A cold breeze on his cheek. Had someone opened a window. He tried to move to see, and felt grass beneath him._

 _Wait, where was his bed?_

 _Come to think of it where was HE exactly?_

 _He opened his eyes and found himself staring up at a blue sky. Slowly he forced himself to sit up. A field? Why was he in the middle of a giant field of flowers? How had he gotten here? Where was everyone? No, this didn't make sense. Someone must have moved him here, that much was certain...but why?_

 _Why here?_

 _And where was here exactly? This was certainly no place he was familiar with. Slowly he brought himself to his feet. He could stand. That was good. At least he'd regained some of his stregnth. Perhaps his illness was finally fading._

 _He looked around. Nothing but grass and flowers as far as the eye could see. He let out a sigh, picked a direction, and started walking. Well, more like shuffling, honestly. As much as he hated to admit it he was getting old, and whatever happened to cause him to pop up here was not making things easier on his aging body. Still, it didn't really matter. He had a mission to complete. A puzzle to solve. And one, maybe two, young ladies to find._

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Lucy could only stare at the scratch paper in front of her. She'd done it. She'd actually done it!

… _._ Kind of.

She still didn't have enough money to buy back the entire Heartfelia Estate. At this point she was starting to wonder if she'd ever earn enough for that. Still, the money she'd made off her book was more than enough to buy back the mansion and some of the surrounding ground. This was perfect! She was finally going to be able to restore her childhood home!

Maybe.

There was still one hurdle she had to overcome, and that was her husband of 8 months, Natsu. She set both elbows on her desk and leaned her chin into her palms. How to convince Natsu that buying the mansion back was a good idea? And how to convince him to spend the money on than rather than food or something stupid like that. They may be adults now, but that didn't mean Natsu didn't still have his, well, _quirks_ to put it politely.

This might not even be an issue, though. He might be all gun-ho for it. It would be just like him to think of buying the mansion as another grand adventure. Then again it would also be just like him to think buying it back was stupid. Lucy sighed. Yes, she could see her husband taking either of those routes. If there was one thing that could always be predicted about Natsu it was his unpredictability.

Speaking of which…

"EEK!"

Lucy immediately broke out of her train of thought when something cold and wet slithered down her back.

"Ha! Gotcha!"

"Natsu, I'm gonna kill you!" Lucy shrieked as she squirmed about to get the ice cube out of her shirt. "And Gray too! I know you had to have gotten this from him!"

"No, actually, I got it out of the freezer."

"Our freezer doesn't have an ice maker, idiot!"

Natsu sighed. "I told Gray that excuse wouldn't wor-HEY!"

The dragon slayer tumbled back as a pillow hit him smack in the face. He pulled the fluffy cushion off his face to see his rather annoyed wife standing over him with her arms crossed.

"Weren't you supposed to be getting us a job?"

"I tried, but there weren't any good ones available."

"Weren't any good ones, or weren't any S class ones because you let Erza, Galjeel, Levy, Gray, Laxus, and Cana get to all of them before you did?"

"Love, the S class quests ARE the good ones."

Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose. "You do realize that just because you are an S class wizard now it doesn't mean you can't go on regular old missions!"

"C'mon, I went throught that trial three times! I using my S class title for everything it's worth!"

"Or you're just trying to show up Gray because he made S class before you did."

"THAT SORRY ICE BRAIN CHEATED, I TELL YOU!" Natsu immediately calmed down as he sat back up. "Besides, it's not like we need the money with your book and all."

"You trying to freeload off my accomplishments." Lucy sat cross-leged in front of him.

"Not at all, but aren't quests just for fun at this point?"

"And weren't you complaining about being bored this morning?"

"Yeah, but I'm not gonna take some crappy job just because I'm bored. I've got a reputation to uphold."

"Sure…" Lucy just shook her head as he scooted closer to her and leaned his forehead, their signature gesture. Though many things had changed over the years, Natsu was still Natsu. He was infuriating sometimes, but she still loved him with all her heart. She smiled and nuzzled her forehead against his.

"Actually, I'm glad you're back early, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"S'up?" Natsu leaned backed a bit so they could see each other.

Lucy drew her knees to her chest as she continued. "So, um, you know I published a book a while back."

"Well, yeah, it's been the talk of the town for months. Even got a positive review in Sorceror's Weekly. By the way, I have told you how proud I am of you for that, right?"

Lucy smiled. "More than once."

"Well, guess you'll have to stand hearing it again," Natsu gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Proud of you."

"Thanks," Lucy blushed slightly. "Well, anyways, I've been going through the money accounts to see how much I've actually made and…"

Natsu arched an eyebrow when she didn't continue. "...And?"

Lucy sighed. "And, I have enough to buy my childhood house back."

Natsu blinked and arched an eyebrow. "Okay, why do you want to do that?"

Lucy sighed. So this was the route he was taking. Couldn't he have gone the other way? Nope. That would be too easy. Natsu was always complicated. A good thing she loved a challenge...most of the time.

"Well," she tried to find the words to explain. "It's where I grew up. It's what my mother and father worked their whole lives for. It's where my parents graves are. It's where I first started learning magic. It's where a lot of my good memories are. I don't like the idea of someone else owning it. It just...it just wouldn't feel right."

"I can understand that," Natsu nodded. "Wut what will we do with it once we buy it? It's kind of a far away from the guild hall. Besides it's a bit too big for just the two of us to live there."

"Won't Happy and Carla come along?" Lucy asked.

"Nah, Carla wouldn't want to be that far from Wendy."

"Well, doesn't Happy get a say?"

"You kidding? Lil'buddy's so whipped it's pathetic."

"I'm sure he says the same thing about you."

"Hey, now," Natsu narrowed his eyes at her. She giggled, then lowered her head in embarassement."

"I guess I haven't thought that far ahead," Lucy answered. "You're right, though. It would be pretty silly to buy something that expensive and do nothing with it."

"'You're right?'" Natsu arched an eyebrow with a mischivious grin on his face. "How did those words taste coming out of your mouth?"

"Shut it, flame boy," Lucy tossed a pillow at him again. This time he caught it, though, and threw it back at her, lightly hitting her in the side of the face.

"Hey!"

"You threw it first."

"Ergh! You're so infuriating sometimes."

"Oh, really? If that's the case," Natsu held up his hand and pointed to the ring on his finger. "Why'd you marry me?"

"Because I love you. Now shut up before I get really mad at you."

"Sounds like you're already there."

"So why are you still provoking me?!"

"Becasue you're cute when your mad."

"Oh, you!" Lucy went to swat at him, but he caught he wrist and used it to pin her to the floor on her back.

"Nats-UMPH!"

He interrupted her with a small kiss to her lips.

"Oh come on. You can't just pick on me then kiss me!" Lucy whined.

"Sure I can, I'm your husband aren't I?"

"Hmph!" Lucy crossed her arms (or arm, as Natsu still had one hand pinned above her head).

"Aw, c'mon, Luce, don't that way."

"IF YOU DIDN'T WANT ME MAD AT YOU THAN YOU SHOULDN'T HAV-UMPH!"

He kissed her again.

"Nats-umph!"

He kissed her yet again. By this point he was doing push-ups over her, planting a small peck on her lips everytime he lowered himself down over her.

"Will-you-quit-trying-to-distract-me-" she asked inbetween kisses.

"I'm not trying to distract you," Natsu answered as he stopped doing push-ups, and instead lied ontop of her and nuzzled his face into her neck.

"Then what are you trying to do?" Lucy asked impatiently.

Natsu shrugged. "I dunno. Kiss my wife I guess."

"You guess?"

"Okay, fine, I know. Hey, can you blame me? I'm married to the most amazing woman in the world, why wouldn't I kiss on you any chance I got?" He he planted a small on her neck, causing her to smile as she began running the fingers of one of her hands through his hair, her other hand tracing line along his face. He hummed deep in his throat as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her fingers eventually found there way to the scar on his cheek. It was one of many he had. The biggest of them was on his side. The one he'd gotten fighting future Rogue. The one he'd gotten avegning her. She still shuddered when she thought about that night. Not only because she watched herself die, but because how badly hurt he'd been. And yet he kept fighting for her. Still, it would have been good if he could have-

"Oh! I got it!" Lucy snapped her fingers.

"Hm?" Natsu asked.

"What if we turned the mansion into a recovery center?"

"A re-what?"

"A recovery center. Y'know, a place where wizards can go after they've been hurt real bad to heal."

"So, like, a vacation house for sick or hurt people?"

Lucy sighed in slight annoyance. "Yeah, a vacation house for sick or hurt people."

"What happened to it not feeling right if anyone other than you lived there?"

"First of all, I said 'own' not 'live.' Secondly, you know my guild mates are like my family. I wouldn't mind them staying at my childhood home to recover."

"Yeah, sure," Natsu shrugged.

"Huh?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Yeah, you think so?"

"Yeah. I mean the guild hall isn't exactly a great place to take it easy. Always booze and fighting going on there."

"So...you're okay with this?"

Natsu shrugged. "Sure, why not."

"So...I can buy the mansion now?"

"Yup."

"Eeeee!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"You're-eugh-welcome. Please don't strangle me!"

Lucy released him and kissed the top of his head. "Really, thank you."

"No problem," Natsu answered, his face still nuzzled into her neck.

"Um...Natsu?"

"Hm?"

"I can't go buy anything with you still ontop of me."

"But you're so comfortable…" Natsu whined.

"C'mon, hop up," Lucy tapped on his shoulder.

"Ugh, okay, fine!"

Natsu rolled over to let his wife up. Lucy hopped to her feet and raced towards her closet to pick out a pair of shoes so she could go to the relator office to pick up the proper paperwork. As she put on a pair of high-heel sandals she noticed Natsu was still laying in the floor.

"Aren't you going to get up?"

"Nah, I like to view from here."

Lucy arched an eyebrow, wondering what he meant, until she remembered she was wearing a miniskirt. She screeched and pulled out a pair of socks from her a drawer in the wardrobe and threw them at him. "Jerk!"

"What, I've already seen it all."

"Shut up! I'm going to get the paperwork."

"Alright, cutie, see you when you get back."

"No, because you're going to go pick out a quest so you'll stop driving me crazy complaining about being bored."

Lucy closed the door behind her and headed to the closest realator's office. It didn't take her as long to pick up the paperwork. Looking at the massive pile that was all but dumped into her arms, though, she could tell that actually filling it out would take much longer.

"I have to fill out all of this!?"

"Yes," the woman at the desk nodded. "It is a big house so it requires a thick stack."

"I guess that makes sense," Lucy groaned as she picked the stack up and headed home. It was so heavy that her arms started aching.

"I should have brought a bag or something," she grumbled to herself.

"I can carry that for you, Princess," a familiar voice called from behind her.

"Oh, Virgo!" Lucy smiled. "How'd you get here."

"I sensed you needed assistance so I came with my own power. Was I wrong? Do I need-"

"Don't finish that thought," Lucy grumbled. "And, yeah, I could use help carrying this back to my hou-oh, you didn't have to take all of it. It's pretty heavy."

"It's alright, Princess. I don't mind pain."

"I'm sure you don't," Lucy sighed as she and her spirit began walking back to her apartment.

"Princess, may I ask you a question? I am curious about something," Virgo asked after a moment of silence.

"Sure," Lucy answered.

"When is my princess going to tell her prince she is expecting?"

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

"Expecting?" Lucy arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean expecting?"

"I mean pregnant," Virgo answered.

"WHAT!?" Lucy squeaked. Virgo must have finally lost it. There was now way she was-hold on a second.

"Wait, how can you tell?"

"I sensed a new energy inside you about 10 weeks ago."

"10 WEEKS!?"

"Yes. It didn't take me long to figure out what it was sense you are a newly wed. But I'm curious as the why you haven't told your prince yet."

"Would you quit calling him that!"

"My apologies. I assumed that was what you wanted me to call him since I heard you calling him that."

"Heard me, that means...AUGH!" she shrieked in horror. "YOU WERE THERE WHEN WE WERE HAVING-"

"My apologies Princess. Perhaps I shuld be-"

"DON'T FINISH THAT SENTENCE! JUST HELP ME GET THESE PAPERS HOME!"

"As you wish, Princess."

They walked the rest of the way home in silence. Virgo placed the papers on Lucy's desk and she set straight to work filling them out. Her mind was not on her work, though, but on what Virgo said. She couldn't really be pregnant, could she? They hadn't even been married a year yet. It was too soon for them to be having a baby. There was no way she could be with child!

Then again they hadn't exactly been, well, careful.

So, technically it was possible, but-

-No! There was no way she could be pregnant!

But Virgo had said she was. Said she had been for 10 weeks now.

10 weeks? Well that proved it, there was no way she could be that far along and not know it. Right?

Lucy though back on the past 10 weeks. She and Natsu had gotten back from a job about two weeks ago. Since then she'd been busy going through their bank files and researching her old family estate. Then there was also helping Levy plan for her and Galjeel's wedding, and having to fulfill her maid-of-honor duty to Levy by warding off Jet and Droy's attempts to change her mind and win her over. Then there was the usual intervening into Gray and Natsu's scuffles and other Fairy Tail shenanagins. Needless to say, she'd been pretty busy. Too busy to notice she was pregnant, maybe?

Well, her period was late, but that was kind of normal for her, that didn't really mean anything. But then there was all those weird food combinations she'd been dying to try lately. Even Natsu had noticed.

"Guess I'm starting to wear off on you, huh Luce?" he'd commented when he'd seen her dipping pickles into a cup of chocolate pudding. That was probably it, though, wasn't it? Just Natsu rubbing off on her. They were married now it was bound to happen. And then there was, well, um the soreness in, um, those areas. But that could just be, well, them enjoying being newlyweds. It didn't mean she was pregnant.

Right? _Right? RIGHT?!_

She looked down at her abdomen. It didn't look any different. There was no way there could be a baby hiding in there for ten weeks. She'd be showing by now, right?

Huh, when did a woman normally start showing? She had no idea. She'd never really done much research on pregnancy or babies. She and Natsu weren't really planning on having any kids until, well, later.

They hadn't really said when they wanted kids. They just knew they wanted kids. Someday. In the future. Far future. Not now. Not anytime near now! Because there was no way she could be pregnant! Still-

 _Splash!_

The top of her pen broke off and splattered ink all over the paper she was filling out.

"Oh, no, no, no, no!" she scrambled to get out a napkin to clean up her mess. As she did so she thought over what Virgo had said.

Could she be?

Well, there was no harm in checking, she supposed. Natsu hadn't gotten back from the Guild hall yet. Maybe he was actually being serious and picking out a-

-Nah! He'd probably gotten into another scuffle with Gray. Or maybe an arm wrestling match with Galjeel. As long as he wasn't trying to out drink Conna again, Lucy didn't really care. As long as he stayed out long enough for her to go buy a pregnancy test and take it….

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

 _A town? That was promising. He'd been walking for hours now without spotting anything. But now he could see a town on the horizon ahead of him. His legs were shaking. His feet hurt. He was dizzy from lack of food and water. He stumbled toward the sign._

" _Gallowstown?" he mumbled to himself._

 _He was far from where he needed to be. Yes, clearly someone wanted him out of the way. If that were true, though, why not just kill him? Maybe someone tried and failed, but wouldn't he remember?_

 _Too many questions. Not enough answers._

 _It didn't matter though. He had to get back home._

 _He had to get back in touch with her._

 _He had to find her._

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

"Okay," Lucy took a deep breath as she stared at the box in her hands. "Okay. I can do this."

She began to open it, then stopped.

"No, no, no, I can't!"

She took another deep breath.

"C'mon, it's just a tiny test. It's fine. You can do it. Besides, what are the chances it will be positive. I mean, what do you have to go off of? Virgo's word? Pfft, everyone knows she's crazy there's no way-"

She stopped herself and sighed. "Then again celestial spirits are more sensitive to personal energy, so it's possible that-No! Come on, just take this stupid test and get it over with!"

She ripped the box open and pulled out the test.

"Okay, just-NO I CAN'T!" She through the test to the corner of the bathroom. She grumbled and slapped herself on the forehead. "C'mon, Lucy. Why are you freking out right now, it's not like this is a big deal. It won't even be positive. Just take the stupid thing."

She walked over to the corner, picked the test up, and finally took it. She then set in on the sink, took a deep sigh, then pulled out a silver key, and summoned Horologium.

"Yes, Miss Lucy, how may I be of service?"

"Can you tell me when ten minutes have passed?" Lucy asked.

"Of course, Miss." the clock answered.

"Thanks," she said as she began pacing. There was no real reason to be nervous. There was no way she was actually pregnant. It was just Virgo being weird. As usual. Still, it wasn't completely out of the question. She was a newlywed after all, and Natsu turned out to be quite the, well, cuddler. As much of a tough-guy as he liked everyone to believe he was, he did quite like snuggling and just physical affection in general. After eight months of marriage she was just now getting used to waking up with his arms wrapped around her waist and his legs tangled with hers.

She couldn't help but smile when she though about it. Though she did give him a hard time about it, she did like it. It felt nice to be close to him, being in his arms made her feel safe.

"Excuse me, Miss Lucy, but it's been ten minutes," Horologium said.

Lucy's heart skipped a beat. "Okay, thanks Horologium."

"Your welcome, if you do not need anymore assistance, I'll be going now."

"Yeah, thanks again," Lucy said as he disappeared and stared at the white stick on the sink. And stared at it. And stared at it.

"What are you doing, Lucy, just flip it over!?" she yelled at herself.

And yet she still didn't move, just kept staring at the stick.

"Oh, come on! It's just a little test, quite freaking out, Lucy!" she pulled at her hair. She growled then forced herself to reach out and grab the test. She still didn't turn it over though. Instead she froze, yet again, staring at the back.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!? EEERRRRGGGGHHHH!"

She grumbled to herself some more, jumping up and down in place.

"Okay, okay, okay. On the count of three, Lucy. Okay. One. Two. No, I can't, I can't I can't! Yes you can! Ergh!" she shook her head violently.

"One more time. One. Two. Oh, boy...Three!"

She flipped it over…

...but closed her eyes.

"WHY IS IT SO HARD TO LOOK AT A STICK! OPEN YOUR EYES YOU FREAK!" she scream as she slowly forced one eye open.

There was a plus mark on it.

"WHAT!?" Lucy screeched as she popped both eyes open and stared at the test.

"It...I...Positive?"

She just stared at it, eyes wide, jaw slack.

"I'm…" slowly she looked up at herself in the mirror and placed a hand over her still flat stomach. "...I'm pregnant."

 _Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Lucy jumped at the sound.

"Ah-Erm-Eh...One second, I'm coming!" she set the test down on the sink, turned it on and splashed cold water one her face.

"Okay, someone's here, don't freak out yet," she told herself as she shook her head and hands to release tension, then headed the the front door. Standing on the side were a very annoyed Gray and Erza, carrying a groaning Natsu between them, one of the dragon slayers arms draped over either of their shoulders.

"Natsu!" Lucy gasped as they carried him in. "What happened?"

"A bet," Gray grumbled.

"More specifically, he and Galjeel made a wager on who could stand riding in a wagon the longest without getting sick," Erza explained.

"Ugh! Natsu!" Lucy scolded her husband as their friends all but dumped him on their bed.

"Oh, hey, Love," Natsu said waterly at the sound of her voice. "Ergh, remind me to never take Galjeel up on a bet ever again!"

"I would but you and I both know it will do no good," Lucy crossed her arms.

"You didn't even win, you numb-skull!" Gray exclaimed.

"You wann go, I'll-"

"No you won't, either," Lucy pushed Natsu back onto the bed before turning back to Erza and Gray. "So, Galjeel won?"

"No," Erza answered. "They both vomitted at the exact same time."

"I'm just glad it wasn't on me this time," Gray mumbled.

"What do you care? You don't even wear clothes…" Natsu said in a rather muffled voice because he had his face buried in a pillow.

"And that makes it better?" Gray asked. "And I do too wear clothes."

"Then why are you in your boxers?" Lucy asked.

"WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN!?"

"You've been that way since you arrived at the Guild Hall," Erza sighed.

"I HAVE!? WHY DIDN'T JUVIA TELL ME!?"

"Do you honestly-" Lucy started, but Gray cut her off.

"Yeah, I realized what was wrong with that sentence the minute it came out of my mouth."

"You need to learn to think before you speak, Snow Breath," Natsu's still muffled voice spoke up.

"Like you've got room to talk, Charcoal Brain."

"You want to-"

"Stop it," Erza ordered in firm voice before putting a hand on Gray's shoulder. "We'll leave you before anymore damage is caused."

The door closed behind them and Natsu let out a groan.

"I'm gonna die!"

"You are not going to die," Lucy sighed as she sat down on the bed next to him and began running her fingers through his hair. "Honestly, Natsu, what am I gonna do with you?"

"I dunno. Kiss me, maybe?"

"Not when you are on the brink of barfing, I'm not."

"Aw, c'mon!"

"Should have thought of that before you took Galjeel up on his bet."

Natsu let out a groan. "Yeah. I'm serious. Remind me to never do that again."

"And I'm serious, that's not going to do either of us any good," Lucy retorted as she scraped her nails across his scalp.

"Hm," Natsu groaned as he leaned into her touch, relaxing as she continued stroking his head. Lucy smiled. Soon after they'd started dating she'd discovered that playing with Natsu's hair helped him relax and take his mind off his discomfort whenever his motion sickness began to plague him. A small smile began playing on his lips as she continued messing up his pink locks. Her mind began to wander, though.

She was pregnant.

10 weeks pregnant if Virgo was to be believed.

How had she not noticed for so long? Had she really just been so busy that it hadn't crossed her mind? Well, if so that wasn't a good sign. How was she supposed to be a good mother if she was to busy to notice her child.

Aw, crap, she was going to turn out like her father wasn't she?

No, she wouldn't let that happen! And neither would Natsu. She had no doubt he'd have no problem calling her out if she ever began neglecting their child. Heck, he called her out on everything else.

Natsu.

Lucy gasped slightly and looked down at her husband, who by now and squirmed his way closer to her and had his head resting in her lap.

He still had no idea. She had to tell him!

"Uh…" her voice got caught in her throat. How was she supposed to do this? She had no idea! Of all the things she'd planned to do today, telling her husband of only 8 months she was pregnant was not one of them. What if he didn't want kids? What if he got upset? Got mad at her? Stormed off. She couldn't bear that. How was she going to do this?

"Why'd you stop?" Natsu asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. She'd gotten so caught up in her panic she hadn't noticed that her fingers had stopped massaging his scalp.

"Oh, um…" her voice disappeared again.

"Luce?" Natsu opened his eyes to look at her. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Natsu arched an eyebrow, obviously unconvinced and forced himself to sit up.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Lucy answered. "Well...not exactly."

"Not exactly?" Natsu asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Lucy's heart began beating fast as lightning. "Well, um...I just...I found something out today."

"Is it something bad?"

"No. Not really."

"Not really?"

"I mean, it's not bad. It's just...well, it's big. And life changing. And crazy. And kind of scary, and I don't know how to tell you, and I'm freaking out!" Lucy began tugging at her hair.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, okay, calm down!" Natsu set both hands on her shoulders, eyes wide with concern. "Luce, whatever it is you can tell me."

And she should Afterall it was his baby too.

Holy smokes, they were having a baby! A baby! There was a tiny person inside her and she did not know how to deal with it. How was he going to deal with it? How was she going to tell him? She had to tell him! But she was scared, and her voice wasn't working, and she was still freaking out. She tugged tighter at her hair.

"Ugh, my head hurts," she grumbled to herself.

Natsu hopped off the bed and began heading to the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" Lucy asked.

"To get a cold wet rag for your head," he answered plainly.

He heard? Well, of course he heard! He was a dragon slayer, after all. Cursed heightened senses.

Lucy continued to sit there, mulling things over in her mind. How was she supposed to tell Natsu about this. She still hadn't wrapped her mind around it. How was she going to help him come to terms with-

"WHAT!? AHA!" A loud cheer came from the bathroom. Lucy lifted her head and turned to see what was wrong just in time to brace herself for the tackle hug that knocked her onto her back atop the bed.

"Natsu?" she asked as he began peppering her face with kisses. "Wha-"

"Is this for real?" he asked a wide grin on his face as he held up the pregnancy test. Lucy's heart skipped a beat. She'd forgotten that she'd left the test on the bathroom sink.

"Are you really pregnant?" Natsu asked again.

Lucy's voice, once more, failed her, but she did manage to nod her head yes.

"Ahahaha!" Natsu laughed as he hugged her tighter and began kissing her face all over again.

"Wait, you're okay with this?" Lucy asked.

"Of course I'm okay with this!" Natsu cheered, nuzzling his face into her neck. "We're going to have a baby!" He kissed her just below he ear, then sat up, a startled look on his face.

"Wait, are you not okay with this?"

"What, no, of course I am. I just-"

Well, it wasn't a lie. She was okay with this, wasn't she? Actually she wasn't sure what she was. Scared, that was for certain, but outside of that she-

"Luce?" Natsu's brow furrowed into a look of worry.

Well, no use hiding it. He's pry it out of her eventually, anyways, might as well go ahead and get it over with.

"Scared," she whispered.

"What?" Natsu cocked his head to one side.

"I'm scared," she repeated.

"Why is that?" he asked.

"Because we haven't even been married a full year yet! And we never really talked about kids much. Like how are we going to go on jobs. Who's going to look after the baby while we're gone? Will we take turns? Pay a babysitter? And I don't even know how to be a mom. I lost mine when I was a kid, and my dad wasnt' a great example. And our appartment isn't baby proof. And we just got married, is this going to be too much now at once? And-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Natsu put a finger to her mouth to get to stop talking. "We'll figure it out."

"Really?" Lucy asked nervously.

"Yeah," Natsu brushed his hand against her cheek, pushing her hair behind her ear. "After everything else we've been through you think we can't work this out?"

"Yeah, I suppose," Lucy set her hand over his. "But, you're really okay with this? You're happy?"

"Seriously, that's even a question?" Natsu's grin widdened and he pulled her into a hug, pressing his forehead against hers. "Of course I'm happy. How could I not be. We're having a baby!"

Lucy smiled. "I know. Kinda crazy, right?"

"Yeah, crazy awesome!"

Lucy giggled as he attacked her mouth with his, pushing her back onto her back as he did so, her fingers finding their way into his hair.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, Love, there's something I've got to go take care of," Natsu said, once they'd parted.

"Wait, what are you-"

Within a flash he had raced out of the appartment, screaming at the top of his lungs: "I'M GONNA BE A DAD!"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

 _Finally. He had enough money for a train ticket. Only one, though, which begged the questions, where to? Magnolia or Acalypha?_

 _While he did noeed to find her, he also need proof. Proof that the stories he'd heard were true. And that proof was still in Acalyphia_

 _Acalyphia it was. He'd track her down another time. He just hoped that when he did find her she was in a listening mood._

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

" _I'm sorry, Layla," he whispered as he picked up a rather large rock and climbed into a flower box that stuck out from a large window. The rain poured down all around him, almost blinding him with it's thickness. He waited until a thunder clap echoes through the sky. He brought the rock down on the lock on the window. He carefully, slowly, creaked the window opened and dropped down inside._

 _He took in a deep breath and sighed. It had been a long time since he'd been here. So many memories of good times far gone. Oh, how he'd wish he could go back to those sunny days. No use wasting time on reminiscing, not when he had something to look for._

" _Maybe it's not true," he thought out loud as he shuffled his way to one of the many bookshelves lining the walls of the room. Maybe it was a just a bunch of Dark Guilds talking nonsense. After all it was quite in their character to do so. He placed his finger on the bottom of the shelf and began searching._

 _There it was. He pulled the old book out, a cloud of dust floating aimlessly from it's binding with each little movement. He coughed as the offending filth filled his lungs and opened the book. He sighed. It was such an old manuscript, quite valuable. It was a shame what he was about to do, but he had no choice. He grabbed both sides of the cover and tore the binding open. He looked inside. There was a ribbon poking out of the binding. He pinched it between his fingers and pulled it out. A velvet envelope fell out. He picked it up and opened it._

" _Oh, no," he groaned as he read it. "So it is true afterall…"_

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Another- _hiccup_ -round for the- _hiccup-_ expectant parentssshhhh."

"Cana, honey," Gildarts set a worried hand on his daughter's shoudler. "Haven't you had enough liq-"

"Shhhh- _hiccup_ -sh, shwsh, Pops. I'mm fine. Afta all it's a party. Let'sh jusht have some fun. Cheers to Lucy and Natssssuuuuu-" Cana raised her glass, or barrel, but stumbled backwards. Gildarts caught her before she hit the ground and scooped her into his arms.

"Alright, let's get you to bed, sweetie."

"Oh, stop it, Pops, I ish a big girl now. I can take care of myshelf…"

Galjeel watched the two head to the girl's dorm, staring into his half empty mug. "I can't believe Salamander's actually gonna be a dad. Poor kid!"

"Aw, come on," Levy bumped him with his elbow. "Don't you think Natsu will be a good dad."

"You kidding? He still acts like a kid himself!"

"Well, I for one am happy for them," Levy said. "Lu-Lu is going to be an awesome Mom!"

 _Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!_

The engaged couple turned at the sound to find Makarov chugging down a mug of ale. Nothing out of the ordinary, except that there was a pile right next to him.

"Um, master, haven't you had enough?" Levy asked.

"He's...reproducing…" Makarov shuddered. "A bunch of tiny Natsus...I'm not-hiccup-I'm not ready! The world is not ready! We must fireproof everything!" The short, white-headed man began frantically running around the guild hall while wildly waving his arms about.

"Master!" Mirajane jumped over the bar and began chasing him down. "Master, let's calm down."

"As if one Natsu wasn't enough! Now there will be an army of fire-breathing destruction!"

"It's just one baby, master, don't you think you're over reacting?"

"I'm too old to die!"

"Master, you're not dying!"

Galjeel and Levy watched the two scamper around the hall to everyone's amusement. Well, Levy was. Galjeel was thinking over something Makarov had said.

"An army of fire breathers? Hmmm. Guess we'll have to make an army of iron warriors to counter them, hey short stuff."

"Wha-" Levy punched him in the shoulder. "Jerk! You seriously only want to have kids to compete with Natsu! We're not even married yet, and you-"

"Okay, okay, okay. Yikes! For a shrimp you sure can pack a heavy punch!"

"Oh, my beloved!" A voice broke through the laughter.

"Oh, here we go," Gray grumbled as he felt a weight grasp onto his arm. "What is it Juvia?"

"Gray, my darling, when are we going to have a bunch of babies of our own?"

"Juvia, we just got back from our honeymoon two days ago."

"I know, my beloved! Though I hope we'll be together for eons, it seems like it's only been two days since our glorious week alone."

"No, I mean it has literally only been two days."

From her seat in the corner, Erza could only smile, as she continued writing.

" _I never would have though Natsu and Lucy would be the first amongst our group to have children. It took them so long to confess their feelings for eachother I was sure it would be years before they would get around to having babies, if ever, yet here we are."_

"So this is how the world ends! In a flurry of baby fire sneezes!" Makarov's wailing broke Erza back from her writing.

"Master, please, be reasonable!" Mirajane scolded as she lugged the man over her shoulder to a nearby chair.

"Wonder if the old timer was this frantic when he found out I was coming," Laxus asked as he followed his wife and grandfather. Erza smiled as she watched them, absent-mindedly twirling the ring on her finger. She frowned as she thought for a moment, then began writing again.

" _I'd be lying if this hasn't got me thinking about our future. I know raising children would be difficult for us. Between me being an S class wizard and your work with Crime Sorciere finding time to care for a child would be difficult. Still, I can't help but think that it would be a wonderful thing for us. Maybe I'm just being overly hopeful. Still, perhaps it's something we should discuss upon your return._

 _Speaking of which, when are you planning on returning? I haven't heard from you in a while and I'm a bit worried. I know it's probably nothing. I know your work requires you to go dark often. It's not that I don't have confidence in you. I just care too much for you I suppose. And I miss you._

 _Come home soon, Jellal. And come home safe._

 _Your loyal wife,_

 _Erza."_

She folded the paper, sealed it in an envelope, and stood to mail it off, dodging flying mugs and guild members as she did so. The party was in full Fairy Tail force now. As she walked through the main room of the guild hall, she noticed something.

"Something wrong, Erza?" Mirajane asked brightly, having properly put her grandfather-in-law into a comfy chair. Erza turned to face her, noticing over her shoulder that Makarov was still nervously mumbling with an ice pack on his head. Laxus leaned over him, waving a plate like a fan over his face.

"...a bunch of little Natsus...my heart can't take it…" the old wizard grumbled.

"Aw, come on, gramps. Maybe the baby will be like Lucy."

"AND YOU THINK THAT WILL BE ANY BETTER!?"

Erza snickered at the two, then turned back to Mirajane. "Where are Natsu and Lucy? Isn't this party celebrating their pregnancy?"

"I think they went home early. Lucy's probably tired. Besides, not like she can partake in the drinking anyways."

"Yes, that's true."

"Besides, half of us are too drunk to remember what this party was even about."

"Not the master."

"No," Mirajane sighed. "I didn't expect him to react to the news like this."

"I can't say I blame him," Erza smiled. "Lucy and Natsu combined? That's going to be quite a rambunctious child."

"That's one way to put it," Mirajane agreed brightly. "I wouldn't be too worried, though. I mean, they haven't destroyed the world yet. I'm sure their child won't either."

"Don't tempt them," Erza warned.

"Of course not!" Mirajane giggled before growing slightly more serious. "By the way, how's Jellal? Have you heard from him recently?"

"No, actually," Erza hung her head. "I haven't heard from him for several days now."

"Oh," Mirajane nodded. She knew how tough it was on Erza every time Jellal had to go away on a Crime Sorciere mission. And with Natsu and Lucy's news, it couldn't have been much easier on her. "Well, I'm sure he's fine. He's probably just having to lie low for the time being."

"I just hope my letters are getting to him."

"I'm sure they are. Oh, I almost forgot. There's some extra cake hidden in the kitchen. I snuck some back there for you. I figured you'd need it tonight."

"Thanks, Mira," Erza smiled before heading off to send her letter and sneak into the kitchen.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Lucy stirred slightly and opened her eyes. It was still dark out-

Hey, when had she fallen asleep? Last she remembered she and Natsu had comeback home because it was starting to get to _that_ part of the party. And since she was pregnant, it was starting to get a little awkward for her, so she and Natsu left. They sat on the couch, talked, and cuddle for a while and then apparently she passed out. Maybe the pregnancy was making her tired.

Wow.

She was really pregnant. She still hadn't fully wrapped her mind around it. She lifted an hand to place against her belly, but instead got a handfull of pink hair. She looked down and found Natsu had the side of his face nuzzled against her belly. Feeling her hands in his hair, he looked up at her, eyes bright.

"Hey," he smiled.

"Hey," she smiled back. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Not that long. You still tired?"

Lucy thought for a little while as she rubbed her eyes. "A little bit."

"'Kay," Natsu stood up from the couch and scooped Lucy into his arms.

"Natsu, what are you doing?"

"Carrying you to bed," he answered in a matter of fact voice.

"I can walk there myself."

"I know. I just like carrying you," he answered, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he lowered her onto the mattress and tucked her in. Lucy smiled, snuggling deeper under the blankets and closing her eyes, a hand on her belly where their baby was.

Holy smokes, this was actually happening, wasn't it?

They were really going to have a baby weren't they?

She was practially giddy she was so happy. She wasn't sure how to contain it. She curled herself into a ball of excitement and smiled brightly as she rubbed circles onto her belly.

"Hey, let me in," Natsu whine as he gently pulled her tight ball of arms and open and laid his face on her belly again. Lucy sighed in slight annoyance at him fro runing her moment, then she heard him quietly humming a soft tune.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Singing to the baby, obviously," he answered.

Lucy smiled at him and ran her fingers through his hair as he continued humming, casuing her heart to swell.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," Natsu answered before planting a small kiss onto her abdomen. "Both of you."

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

 _Seven years? How was that possible? Seven years had either passed while he was sleeping or had been wiped from his memory. He had known he'd missed out on something, but seven years? Oh, he had so much to catch up on. And a lot to learn. His head was starting to hurt._

 _He closed his book and set it on the stack already forming around him. He ran his fingers through his thinning hair._

 _This was powerful, ancient magic he was dealing with. There was a reason it had been locked away for so long. And now it was going to come back. Unless he could find a way to stop it. He rubbed the temples of his throbbing head and picked up another magazine. It was a good thing that these had continued to be delivered to this house, even though no one longer lived here. It was helping him catching up, and giving him a break from researching. He never thought he'd find himself eagerly reading the gossip column of Sorceror's Weekly, but here he was._

 _Ugh! There were so many wasy this prophecy could come to pass. So many possible players. How on earth was he supposed to predict how it would come to past? He'd been at it for two weeks now and was no where nearer to cracking it._

 _He was hoping he would be able to figure out more before he contacted her but that wasn't looking promising._

 _A creak came from down the hall. Someone was here? No! That place was abandoned. Who was here? He picked up the gun he'd managed to snag off a bandit and ducked behind the door of the room he was hiding in._

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Place is as big as I remember it, though a bit dustier," Natsu coughed as he and Lucy stepped into the foyer of the Heartfelia manor.

"Creep!" Happy whispered as he flew ahead of the two, leaving them and Carla behind.

"Well, it's been left empty for 18 years now, so I guess that's to be expected," Lucy answered as she followed behind him. She sighed as she stared at the drapes of cobwebs covering everything. She wasn't sure what she had expected. Still, it was sad seeing her childhood home in such a state.

"Here," Natsu said as he ties his scarf around her mouth, nearly gagging her. "Can't have you breathing in anything yucky. Might hurt the baby."

Lucy suppressed a groan. Ever since he'd found out she was pregnant Natsu had become annoyingly overprotective. In fact, the whole guild had. She couldn't go anywhere with out someone offering to do something for her, or telling her to sit down, or telling her what she should or shouldn't eat. "Gotta look out for the baby," they'd all said. Bisca was the only one who hadn't practically suffocated her. In fact, she'd been pretty sympathetic.

"This is just a part of it" she'd said. "It's only because they care about you."

Well, as true as that might be, it was certainly annoying.

Lucy sighed as she took the scarf off her face and tied it back around Natsu's neck. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

"You can't be sure of that! What if there's some sort of toxic mold that's been growing in here for the past decade!" Natsu argued.

"I'm suprised you even know what the word 'decade' means," Carla sighed as her mate flew back to them.

"The cobwebs and dust just keep going!" Happy exclaimed.

"Well, that settles it," Natsu tried to tie his scarf around Lucy's mouth again, but she brushed him off.

"I'm not sick or fragile, Natsu, I'm just pregnant."

"It's not you I'm worried about, it's the baby!" Natsu insisted.

"I can assure you that the baby is quite safe inside of Lucy," Carla sighed. "Her body is designed to grow and protect a baby, after all."

"You make me sound like an incubator when you say it like that," Lucy grumbled.

"That's actually kinda cool," Natsu said.

"Aye," Happy agreed.

"No it's not! I'm still here you know, just because I have a baby inside me doesn't mean I stopped existing!"

"Whoa!" Natsu jumped back.

"Honestly, did I just turn invisible ever since I got pregnant?"

"Of course not," Natsu answered. "But, if you did would the baby turn invisible too, or would be able to see it inside of you?"

"Not the point!" Lucy shouted.

"So what is the point?" Natsu asked.

Lucy sighed. "Nothing. Nevermind."

"Hormonal much?" Happy asked his dragon slayer friend.

"I am not!" Lucy objected, causing both males to jump in fear.

"Honestly," Carla face palmed.

"Erm...hey, Happy, Carla, why don't you two fly ahead and make sure that the coast is clear," Natsu suggested.

"Clear of what?" Happy asked.

"Come along, Tom Cat," Carla called as she spread her wings, taking the hint, and took off.

"But what are we looking for?" Happy asked, still oblivious, as he followed after her.

Once the two exceeds were gone, Natsu walked to Lucy and took both her hands in his.

"What's wrong, Luce?"

"I already told you, nothing," Lucy answered, turning to walk down the hall. "Now let's-"

"Uh-uh," Natsu pulled her back to him. "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"I don't know!" Lucy sighed, exasperated. "I'm just annoyed."

"Annoyed at what? Who? Me?" He genuinely looked concerned and maybe even a bit hurt.

"I don't know. I'm just tired of everyone watching my every move, and acting like they have to treat me like I'm going to break any second, and...I don't know, I'm just annoyed! Maybe I am getting hormonal…"

Natsu chuckled, pulling her closer so he could wrap his arms around her waist. "I get it. You're used to being Miss Independent."

"Yeah, I suppose," Lucy sighed, placing both hands on his chest. "I just don't like being treated like I'm a delicate weakling."

"I don't think anyone thinks you're a delicate weakling. If they did they'd be an idiot. They just want to help because they care about you and the baby."

"You say 'they' but you're the biggest affender of the bunch," Lucy reminded him.

"Hey, that's different! I'm the husband and dad in this situation."

"Uh-huh, sure."

"I gotta keep my girls safe."

"Girls?"

"Yeah."

"So the baby's a girl?"

"Yup."

"How do you know ?"

Natsu shrugged. "Just do."

"What if it's a boy?"

"Uh-uh. It's going to be a girl, I tell you."

"But what if it is a boy."

"Fine, as long as it's healthy, but it's still going to be a girl."

Lucy rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not even showing yet!"

"Doesn't matter, I can already tell."

"How?"

"Father's instinct."

"Well, if that's the case why weren't you able to guess I was pregnant before I found out?"

Natsu tried to come up with a comeback, but after a few seconds of stuttering he just shrugged. "Whatever. I'm still telling you that it's a girl."

Lucy smiled and shook her head. "Guess we'll have to wait and see."

"Sure, but I'm still right."

"Uh-huh. Okay. We'll see."

"We will," Natsu nodded before leaning down and brushing his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she reciporcated the kiss. After a few moments they parted.

"So, let's go check out the rest of this old place we bought," Natsu said as he released her waist. She smiled brightly and took off, skipping down the halls, old memories filling her mind. Natsu followed a few steps behing her, smiling as she stopped the tear down dusty sheet after dusty sheet and examine the furniture or decor underneath them. If he was honest, he still wasn't sure about this "recover center" idea of hers. But this house obviously meant a lot to her. And technically is was her money they bought it with. So who was he to complain. Besides, he loved seeing her this happy. Espcially when she let herself get excited enough to skip around a giggle like she was now.

"You're like a little kid," he commented as she stood on her toest to lean out a window.

Lucy blushed as she stepped back. "Yeah, guess I am acting a little silly, aren't I? Sorry."

"Don't be," Natsu pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's cute."

Lucy blushed again, then noticed a door at the end of the hall. She ran to it and opened it, letting out a small gasp. "They're all still here?"

She stepped into the old library, letting her eyes travel over all the still stocked shelves. A smile played on her lips as she remembered escaping her as a child and spending hours going on adventures with her favorite book characters. Her smile grew all the wider as she thought about bring her child here. As she stepped further into the room, she noticed a pile of books and magazines in the floor of the library.

"Huh?" she thought as she walked towards them. What were all these books doing here?

 _Click!_

Lucy's chest grew cold as the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked. Her arms instinctly went over her belly as she whirled towards the source of the sound. There was a man, hiding just behind the door she'd opened, a rifle held up to his shoulder and pointed at her. She gasped, bot because of the gun, though, but because of who was behind the gun:

A man with black eyes, brown hair, and a shaggy beard. His eyes also grew wide when he saw her and he lowered his weapon.

"Lucy?" a familiar voice asked.

Lucy's heart skipped a beat as she replied.

"Dad?"

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

"Lucy?" Jude Heartfelia asked again as he lowered the weapon, eyes wide. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Lucy gasped, arms still around her belly. "What are you…"

Here arm began shaking more violently. "You-you-you-"

She lifted one hand and pointed a shaking finger at him. "You...You're dead!"

"I'm what?" Jude asked a confused look on his face.

"You're dead!" Lucy shouted again. "You've been dead for seven years! How could you-Why would you-What is going-"

 _Boom!_

The gun, still hanging from Jude's hand, flew out of his hand as a ball of fire struck it. It spun in the air five times before soaring out an open window and exploding into a thousand tiny pieces outside. Jude jumped back, wincing in pain as he clutched his burned hand.

"Lucy, get behind me!" Natsu's voice rang out as he raced in front of his wife, flames spewing from either of his hands. "Fire drago-"

"Natsu, stop!" Lucy set a hand on either of her husband's arm and lowered them. Natsu turned to her, a look of bewilderment in his eyes. Though he did not extiguish the flames emitting from either of his palms, he did stop his attacks and stood still, keeping his eyes fixed on the strange man standing in front of them.

"How are you here?" Lucy asked, turning back to her father, stepping in between him and the on-edge fire wizard. Natsu responded by stepping to one side, removing her from the line of fire should he need to burn this sucker to smitherenes.

"I was looking for something," Jude answered in a pained voice, still nursing the cinged skin of his hand.

"I didn't ask why, I asked how," Lucy corrected, the shock starting to wear off to reveal anger. "You died seven years ago, how is it possible for you to even be here?"

"Seven years ago?" Jude asked, a flicker of something in his eyes.

"Yes!" Lucy shouted. "So how is it that you're still alive? Did you fake your death? Run off? Is this some kind of sick joke!?"

"No, no, none of that," Jude assured her. "I…" He paused, mouth pursed into a think line as he straightened himself up. "...to be honest, I don't know what happened."

"Oh, bull crap!" Lucy said through gritted teeth. "Do you have any idea what you did to me? Leaving like that before I even had a chance to make things right? Now seven years later I find out that was all a lie!"

"Wait, this is your dad?" Natsu asked, finally letting the flames disappear from his hands.

"Oh, try to keep up will you!" Lucy screamed.

"Well, exccuuuussseee me! I was too worried about getting the gun out of his hand to ask questions!" Natsu retorted.

"Sorry about that, I thought you were an intruder," Jude hung his head bashfully."

"Us intruders?" Lucy turned back to her father. "Your the one that came back from the dead!"

"Yes, about that-"

"Uh-huh, about that. What do you have to say for yourself?" Lucy placed her hands on her hips.

Jude took a deep breath. "As I said before, I'm not sure exactly what happened. One moment I'm in bed sick, sending Michelle to deliver a clock hand to you because it was imperative I get it to you as soon as possible. I couldn't wait on myself to recover. I had made plans to catch up with you once I was well. But the next thing I knew I woke up in the middle of a field outside Gallowstown and seven years had passed."

"Huh?" Lucy lowered her arms, a look of confussion on herself.

"Ugh, why is it always seven!" Natsu groaned from behind them.

"I'd understand if you didn't believe me. I didn't believe it myself at first. But it's the truth. I can't tell you what happened. Nor why or how. I came back here as soon as I could to track down something else I meant to give to you, but-"

 _Crash!_

The window the gun had flown out of busted open and in climbed Erza, Gray, Juvia, Galjeel, Levy, Pantherlily, and Wendy, all immediately taking up battle positions.

"Where's the enemy!?" Erza demanded, brandishin gone of her many swords.

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE!?" Lucy shouted.

"We came to congratulate you on your new pen, then saw something explode outside and figured something was wrong," Galjeel answered. "So who are we wrecking."

"NO ONE! CAN'T YOU GUYS GIVE US A WARNING BEFORE SHOWING UP!?" Lucy bellowed, exasperated.

"Hi, guys," Natsu waved cheerfully.

"So what blew up?" Gray asked, straightening himself out.

"Don't leave me hanging you jerk!" Natsu yelled.

Lucy ignored him. "It was a gun-"

"Gun!?" everyone immediately got back into battle positions.

"No, no, no! It was a misunderstanding!" Lucy waved her arms wildly.

"Who had a gun!?" Erza inquired, finally spotting Jude standing wide-eyed in a corner. She frowned and pointed her sword at his throat. "Was it you?"

"Uh-uh-uh-"

"Answer me, ruffian!"

"Erza, stop, it's fine," Lucy stood between her friend and father. "He's my dad."

"I thought your father died seven years ago," Erza replied, far from convinced.

"Yeah, well join the club," Natsu grumbled.

"So did I," Lucy explained to the requip wizard. "But apparently not."

"So what happened?" Erza continued pressing, clearly still on edge.

"We're trying to figure that out."

"Ahem," Jude timidly cleared his throat. "If I may explain myself-"

"You'd be wise to do so," Erza gently pushed Lucy aside, placing her sword right under Jude's chin. "But choose your words carefully. Should I find out you are lying there will be consequences."

"Is this really necessary?" Lucy groaned.

Jude swallowed again. "Ah, yes, well, all I know is that seven years ago I fell asleep in my bed at the Lucky and Love firm, terribly ill. When I woke up seven years had passed and I had no idea where I was or what had happened to me."

"So you're saying you were suspended from time for seven years?" Erza arched an eyebrow.

"Perhaps. I'm not sure what happened to me. I'm afraid I've told you all I know."

"Hm," Erza still didn't look like she fully believed Jude, but stored her sword away, none the less.

"What on earth is going on in here?" Carla's voice rang out as she and Happy flew into the library. "What are all of you doing here?"

"Hi, Carla," Wendy waved, smiling brightly.

"Afternoon, child," Carla answered back.

"What was that loud noise?" Happy inquired. "Sounded like Natsu blew something up."

"Because he did," Lucy answered before explaining the whole story to the two exceeds and everyone else who had just barged in.

"...and then my dad came back her to-wait, what were you doing again?" Lucy turned back to her father.

"Looking for something," Jude replied.

"What?" Lucy asked.

"I-well…"Jude scratched the back of his head. "I'm not entirely sure. I suppose you could say it's a prophecy of some sort, but I haven't been able to crack it quite yet."

"And why were you looking for this prophecy?" Lucy crossed her arms, her anger beginning to return.

"Well, I was hoping once I figured out exactly how it's supposed to play out, I could get your help in stopping it."

"And, how would I do that exactly?"

"I'm not sure ye-"

"Uh-uh! You know what happened last time you enlisted my help and didn't give me clear instruction on what to do?" Lucy bellowed, casuing Jude's brows to furrow in concern.

"Of course you don't, because you weren't there! I nearly brought on the world's destrcution. I nearly died! I lost-" her voice caught in her throat. "-I lost Michelle. I've been having nightmare about ever since. If you want my help with some giant quest you better have explicit instructions! Otherwise I'll-" Lucy's head began spinning. "-otherwise…" her legs began buckling under her.

"Lucy!" Natsu raced to her side, catching her in his arms before she collapsed. "Lucy, what's wrong?"

"My head...dizzy…" Lucy answered, placing a hand to her temple.

"Lucy!" Everyone else gasped as they raced towards her.

"Well, don't crowd her! Give her some air!" Carla chastised, flying in between the stampeding guild members and the couple. "Clearly the shock of all this has been too much for her in her delicate state."

"I'M NOT DELICATE!" Lucy protested.

"Natsu, follow me," Carla said, ignoring the blond's protests. "Happy and I found a bedroom that's decently clean while exploring. I think Lucy needs a good rest."

"I'm fine," Lucy insisted.

In spite of her statement, Natsu stood up, scooping her in his arms, and following after the white exceed. "Carla's right. You don't need to over do it. C'mon."

"I can walk, you know," Lucy grumbled.

"You expect me to let you run off after you nearly collapsed on me?" Natsu retorically asked, exiting the library, his wife still in his arms, leaving the rest of the group in an awkward silence.

"Well, that happened," Pantherlily spoke up after about five uncomfortable minutes of no one moving or speaking as they refused to look at Jude.

"Yeah…" Galjeel drew out a deep and uncomfortable breath.

"Aye," Happy agreed.

"So…" Levy rocked back and forth on her heels. "Um...anyone hungry?" She gestured to the rather large pack on her back that she'd refused to let Galjeel carry. "I brought some stuff for stew."

"That sounds grand," Erza readily agreed. Maybe a little to readily. But whether that was because she was feeling awkward or genuinely hungry was hard to tell.

"Stew is good," Gray nodded.

"Aye," Happy cheered.

"Great, now to find the kitchen," Levy stroked her chin.

"I can show you the way," Jude offered. "This did used to be my home, afterall."

"I'll go with you," Galjeel stepped up, arms crossed in an intimidating stance. "Shrimp might need help lifting all those heavy pots and pans."

"I'm small, not weak," Levy scolded. Still, she let her fiance tag along. She, like Galjeel, wasn't sure she trusted Jude…

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Carla sneezed as she carefully removed the dusty sheet covering a small bed, probably meant for a servant. Natsu said a word of thanks to her as he gently set Lucy ontop of it and then opened a chest at the foot of the bed, searching for a blnaket that wasn't to musty or moth-eaten to use. Lucy groaned, rubbing her temples, trying to get the dizziness to stop.

"Why am I so…"

"Like I said, too much excitement," Carla cut her off as Natsu decided on a knitted quilt and began tucking it around Lucy.

"I'm not usually the one to grow faint at unpleasant surpises, though."

"For heavens sakes, Lucy, you're pregnant!" Carla sighed, exasperated.

"That doesn't mean I'm helpless, though," Lucy argued, annoyed once again. Why not just wrap her in bubble-wrap? That might actually be less annoying than being coddled everywhere she went.

"I'm not saying it is. But let us stop and think for a minute, shall we?" Carla contined as she began folding up the sheet. "You are growing a child inside of you. A completely new person. That is going to be taking a lot out of you from here until the baby arrives. Not to mention this is your first so your body is still adjusting."

"I guess," Lucy sighed, drawing the blanket up to her chin.

Carla smiled in sympahty at her as she set the sheet ontop of the trunk. "Getting a little dizzy because your father came back from the dead isn't a sign of weakness, Lucy. Most people would have had a similar reaction, pregnant or not. Had this been one of the others I'd suggest they take time to rest and process what had just happened too. I'm just a bit more concerned in your case because it's not just you we have to worry about anymore."

"I know," Lucy sighed. "Sorry I'm being so difficult."

"Nah, you're not being difficult," Natsu insisted as he sat on the side of the bed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're just overwhelmed, we get it."

"Indeed," Carla nodded, spreading her wings once more. "Well, I'll let you get some rest and go check on the others."

"Feeling any better?" Natsu asked once she was gone.

"Honestly, not really," Lucy answered, drawing the blanket even closer around her.

Natsu sighed, gently stroking her cheek. He wanted to help, but he wasn't sure how. He still wasn't entirely sure what was happening. Besides, comforting wasn't exactly his forte. He wasn't good enough with words for that.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Hm?"

"What's happening?"

Natsu sighed. "I've got no idea, Luce. Wish I did, though."

Lucy nodded slowly, groaning in confusion, hurt, fear, and uncertainty. How was her dad alive? Why had he not contacted her? Had something really happened to him to keep him away for seven years, or was he trying to cover his butt? And what was this prophecy he wanted her help with? If it was anything like the infinity clock...no, she couldn't even bring herself to think about that. Memories of watching her friends being all but torn to shreds trying to save her from a fate that was arguably worse than death filled her mind. Watching Michelle betray her, then shrink and disappear. Watching herself slowly disappear and not being able to do anything about it.

Almost without her noticing, two tears escaped her eyes and slid down her cheek.

"Hey," Natsu whispered as he wiped them away with his thumb. "C'mon, no need for that."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Would you quit apologizing for everything? You're not doing anything wrong, silly."

The corner of Lucy's mouth curled into a small smile though three more tears fell.

"Why are you crying, Love?" Natsu asked gently.

"Because," Lucy answered in a hushed voice. "I don't know what's happening. And I'm mad at my dad for letting me think he was dead for seven years, but I don't if I should be because I'm not sure it was his fault. And I'm scared about what he wants my help with. I don't want to go through the whole Infinity Clock thing again. And I'm kinda mad about that too because he went to track down some prophecy instead of letting me know he was okay. But I don't even know what it is so I'm not sure if it's fair to be mad at him for that. I'm just confused!"

"Hey," Natsu set his hand under her chin and turned her face towards him. "We're gonna figure this out. And this will not be like the Infinity Clock incident. I won't let anything like that happen to you ever again, hear me?"

Lucy nodded. Natsu leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Try and get some rest," he said as he stood up. Lucy caught his arm before he could walk away, though.

"Wait."

"Something wrong?"

"Just…" Lucy hung her head, a small blush forming on her face. "Can you stay with me, please? Just until I fall asleep. I don't...I don't want to be alone right now."

"Of course I can," Natsu answered, nudging her to scoot over so he could climb in bed next to her. "In fact, I can stay here until you wake up."

"Thanks, but you don't have to stay for that long."

"Eh, no biggie," he shrugged, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her close. "Besides, I want to. I like holding you."

"Hmmm," Lucy sighed, nuzzling her face into his chest as he set his chin ontop of her head. Within a few minutes she fell asleep, every now and then humming as she dreamed. Natsu waited until she was good and asleep before gently rolling her on her back so he could place the side of his face against her stomach. This had become somewhat of a routine for him. His way of connecting with the baby. He just hoped he wasn't squishing Lucy in the process. So far she hadn't seemed to mind it. In fact she thought it was cute. What he hadn't told her was a little perk he recently found out he got from his heightened dragon slayer sense. As he nuzzled his ear against her belly he culd here a small "tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump." It was incredibly light. Any small movement or noise would have overwhelmed it. But it was there, and it was growing steadily stronger. He smiled as he listened, before turning his head slightly to plant a kiss on Lucy's abdomen, and then nuzzling his hear back to listen some more.

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

"So...am I the only one who smells something fishy?" Happy asked in the kitchen later that night where everyone but Jude, Lucy, and Natsu were gathered. Jude had slinked off back to the library after dinner, and Lucy and Natsu were still asleep, leaving the rest of Fairy Tail to discuss the events of that afternoon.

"Afraid not," Erza answered. "This whole situation is very suspect."

"I meant actually smelling something fishy, but that too," Happy agreed.

"Honestly, all you think about is food," Carla sighed.

"Well, maybe he's telling the truth," Wendy suggested in a soft voice. "After all, we got trapped on Tenrou Island for seven years in some sort of sleeping state."

"Yes, but our situation was one of great rarity," Erza pointed out. "That required the bond shared between us and the magic of Mavis Vermillion, neither of which Mr. Heartfelia possesses or could possibly gain access to."

"Is it possible he could have been placed in a suspended state by other means?" Pantherlily asked.

"Possible, yes. Likely, not so much," Levy answered stroking her chin.

"Maybe he wasn't suspended in time," Wendy suggested. "Maybe his memory was erased."

"The last seven years of it?" Carla arched an eyebrow. "That would require quite a lot of magic power. I'm not sure anyone would waste that much energy on a simple accountant."

"Not unless he knew something that someone high up didn't want leaking out," Galjeel pointed out.

"What are you suggesting?" Erza asked.

"Just saying it sounds to me like Lucy's old man pissed off the wrong people by prying too deep into something they wanted to keep hush-hush."

"If that were the case why not just kill him?" Gray asked. "Be alot easier than using a ton of magic energy to cast a complicated memory spell."

Galjeel thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Fair point."

"I think we can all agree that the easiest explanation for what has occurred is that Mr. Heartfelia is lying," Pantherlily stated plainly. "The real question we should be asking ourselves is 'why?'"

"'Why?' indeed," Erza agreed. "What would cause a man who spent seven years trying to reconnect with his daughter to turn around and throw all that hard work away by faking his death."

"Probably someone who pissed off the wrong people," Galjeel said again.

"If that were the case why not just ask for Fairy Tail's help instead going out on the lamb," Gray asked.

"Need I remind you that during our seven year slumber Fairy Tail suffered a sharp decline in popularity?" Erza stated.

"True, but we've been back ontop for years now. If he was really worried about his safety he could have come to us for help years ago. Given his daughter's one of our wizards there's no way we'd turn him down."

"Need I remind everyone that this is the same man who ordered that Galjeel and I kidnap Lucy when we were still in Phantom Lord," Juvia spoke up in a soft voice.

"That is a good point," Levy nodded. "Maybe he was afraid there'd still be too much bad blood for him to ask us a favor."

"Lucy did kinda threaten him with his life if he ever got close to Fairy Tail again after the war with Phantom Lord…" Happy all but whispered.

"Still, you'd think he'd at least let Lucy know he was alright," Carla said.

"No, 'cuz then she'd go after him," Galjeel said. "Hence blowing his cover."

"Hm…" Erza stroked her chin. "That is a possible theory. Still, why come back to his old home if he was trying to lay low."

"Obviously he didn't know we were going to show up," Galjeel grumbled. "Hence hi pulling a gun on Lucy. To be honest, I'm still surprised Salamader didn't take his whole arm off with that blast."

"He wasn't aiming for the arm, he was aiming for the gun," Happy pointed out.

"Still, this is one of the more likely places he'd be hiding or try to come back to," Pantherlily said. "Returning here was not a wise move if he was worried about someone trying to take him out."

Silence fell over the group as they continued to think, and occassional "hmm," or drumming of fingers breaking the quiet.

"He'd said something about a prophecy," Levy finally spoke up. "You think that has anything to with this."

"It's probably the info he got from whoever's now after him," Galjeel said.

"If anyone's after him," Juvia murmured.

"Why else would he be out on the lamb?" Galjeel asked.

"Maybe he hit his head and has amnesia," Wendy pointed out. "Maybe that's why he doesn't remeber anything."

"For the past seven years?" Gray arched an eyebrow.

"That also doesn't explain his supposed 'death,'" Erza added. "Still, I think Levy might be onto something. This prophecy was his whole reasoning for coming back here. If we can find out what it's about, we might be able to get some answers as to where he's been and what he's up to."

"Good luck. I have a feeling he won't give it up easy," Gray said.

"He was pretty vague about it," Carla agreed. "Didn't even give us a real clue as to what it was prophesizing."

"Well, that stack of books he pulled are still in the library, right?" Levy asked.

"I think so," Erza nodded.

"I didn't put them back," Gray said.

"Me neither," Juvia agreed.

"Maybe I can go through them and see what they all have in common," Levy began looking for her wind reader glasses. "Maybe then we can at least get a rough idea as to what he was after."

"That sounds like a lot of long work, Shrimp," Galjeel said.

"It probably will be, but we don't really have a lot to go off of."

"Heh, I say we just ask him outright. And if he doesn't say we-" Galjeel's arm transformed to a hammer "persuade him."

"No," Erza said firmly. "We don't yet have any evidence that he's up to something sinister, and even if we did he's still Lucy's father. Despite their complicated history she clearly still cares for him. We can't harm him unless it is as a last resort to protect one of us."

"Says the woman who held a sword to his neck four hours ago," Galjeel sneered.

"I THOUGHT HE WAS AN INTRUDER THAT WAS DIFFERENT!" Erza thundered, causing everyone to scream and back away.

"Okay, okay, sheesh. We'll do it your way, Shrimp," Galjeel's arm changed back to normal as he added: "For now."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Natsu stirred and opened his eyes. He was in a strange room. It took him a few seconds to remember what had happened. Once he did he sat up, or tried to. At some point in their slumber he'd ended up lying on his back and Lucy had pillowed her head on his chest. He smiled and ran a hand up and down her back as he looked about the room. It was dark out. How long had they been asleep? And she was still snoozing? The pregnancy must have been taking more out of her than either of them realized. He buried his nose in her hair and kissed the top of her head. She mumbled something in her sleep and rolled off of him onto her other side. He took the opporunity to sit up and stretch his arms and back.

He looked about the room again. Though it was cleaner than the rest of the mansion, it was still musty and covered in a layer of dust. Normally that didn't matter, except there was an old, moldy smell that was driving him crazy. In fact, he felt a headache coming on. He turned and looked back at Lucy. He'd said he'd stay with her until she woke up, but that didn't look like it would be anytime soon. He could tell by her breathing. She was out for the count! He, however, needed to get out of this room and get some fresh air before this smell did his head in for good. That and some food would be nice. His stomach was growling. Surely she wouldn't wake up if he slipped off for a few minutes.

Carefully he slithered out of the bed. Once his feet hit the floor he turned back to his wife and tucked the blanet back around her. Giving her a small peck on the forehead, he turned and walked out of the room. It was only then that it occured to him he had no idea how to find his way around this massive building of a house.

"Hm, if Carla and I came that way...that's the library...I don't remember what was before that," he scratched the back of his head. "But, hey, maybe the library has a map of the house. They keep those in librairies right? Right?"

It didn't really matter, he was already walking in that direction. Just outside the library door, he bumped into Levy, who was wearing her wind reader glasses.

"Oh, hey Levy," he waved.

"Hey, Natsu. How's Lu-Lu?"

"Still asleep."

"Bless her heart! Is she oka-"

The libary door opened and Jude stepped out. "Lucy's still asleep?" he asked, concern in his voice. "Is she alright?"

"Yeah," Natsu answered, a bit more coldly than he meant. "She's just tired."

"You're sure?" Jude asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Natsu nodded.

Jude let out a sigh of relief, then his brow furrowed. "Say, I don't recall seeing you at dinner," he pointed to Natsu.

"What, you guys had dinner without me?" Natsu whined.

"You were still asleep," Levy insisted.

"Wait, you were sleeping too?" Jude asked, arching an eyebrow. "And just where were you sleeping, exactly?"

"Uh…" Levy squeaked uncomfortably. "Looks like you two have a lot to catch up on, I'm just gonna go ahead and head inside…" she slipped into the library, mouthing "good luck!" to Natsu as she did so.

Natsu, however, was not intimidated or phased in the least, and just stared at Jude with a "whatever" look on his face.

"Well?" Jude crossed his arms after a few moments of silence. "Where were you sleeping? Not with my daughter, I'd hope."

"And why not?" Natsu asked, arms crossed.

"It's improper!" Jude exclaimed before jabbing a finger at Natsu's chest. "Who do you think you are sleeping with my daughter out of wedlock! It's-"

Natsu held up a hand and effortlessly caught Jude's hand. "Relax, old timer, I put a ring on it," he side stepped Jude to poke his head in the library. "But even if I didn't I don't see how it's your business. Hey, Levy, which way's the kitchen?"

"She's my daughter! It's my duty to look after her!" Jude answered, staring intently at the younger man. He'd seen this boy before form somewhere. But where?

"Down the hall, turn right, take the first staircase down," Levy answered from the library. "You hit the broom closet you've gone too far."

"Thanks," Natsu pulled his head back out. "What was I saying? Oh, yeah! 'Your duty to protect her,' huh? That's rich coming from a guy who tried to kidnap her, mooch off her, then played dead for seven years."

"I did not play dead, and how dare you assume-"

"So you really expect me to believe that crap pile of a stor you told?" Natsu crossed his arms yet again.

Jude sighed. "No, I don't. But it's the only story I have, so you'll have to make due."

"Fine, I'll make due by not believing or trusting you," he turned to head to the kitchen.

"The not believing I can accept," Jude continued as he followed. "But the not trusting is a bit harsh considering you don't even know me."

"Doesn't matter," Natsu stopped and turned back to face the older man. "You hurt Lucy. More than once. That's all I need to know."

"I assure you I never meant to-"

"Oh, really?" he began counting down on his fingers. "So being neglected her whole childhood, kidnapped, tracked down so that you can mooch several thousand jewel off her, being left behind when you 'died' to deal with the inifinity clock with not instructions, which nearly killed her by the way, and then finding out you lied to her this whole time about being dead? Yeah, you never thought that any of that might hurt her?"

"I admit I was wrong," Jude said in a sad voice. "But that's all in the past. I want to have a relationship with my daughter. A good one. And I do genuinely care about her. I-" Jude suddenly stopped and narrowed his eyes at Natsu. "I'm not sure why I'm explaining myself to you. This is none of your business, young man."

"My wife, my business," Natsu said plainly.

"Wait, wife?" Jude's eyes widened. "Lucy's married? To you?"

"What did you think 'put a ring on it' meant?"

"For how long?" Jude asked.

"Nine months now."

"Oh, so your relationship is recent…"

Natsu rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, not really. We kinda dated for five years before-"

"Five years?" Jude's eyes widened again. "Why that long? If you really do love my daughter, why such a long courtship? Why didn't you marry her sooner-"

"Y'know, I often ask myself that," Natsu admitted. "Married life's great. I'd highly recommend it. 10/10."

"Mm-hmm," Jude looked less than impressed. He could swear he'd seen this boy before! It was driving him crazy!

"Hey, don't give me that look," Natsu crossed his arms again.

"What look?"

"That 'Dad does not apporve look.' You ain't been here for Lucy. Ever! You don't get to say what she does and doesn't do with her life."

"And who are you to tell me what I can and can't-"

"I'm her husband! I just said that! Were you not paying atten-"

"I know that. But why does that give you the right to tell me what I can and can't do. You think just because you're married to my daughter you can order me about?"

"Since when was I ordering you about?" Natsu asked. "All I said was don't give me that 'I don't approve' crap, and don't try to play the loving father card."

"I-" Jude sighed and pinched the brigde of his nose. "Alright, alright. This arguing isn't going to benefit either of us. If you really are married to my daughter-"

Natsu held up his hand and pointed violently to the ring decorating his finger.

"Yes, I can see that," Jude mumbled. "Since you are Lucy's husband I suppose the two of us should try to get along. We are family now, after all."

"Sure," Natsu shrugged.

"I'm being serious, young man!"

"So am I, you think I want to constantly be arguing with my in-laws? I've got better things to do."

"Hm. Yes. Well, then. Shall we try to get along?" Jude asked.

"Fine. I'll play nice if you will," Natsu nodded.

"Good," Jude sighed, turning to go back into the library.

"But just so you know," Natsu continued, casuing the older man to turn back around. "You do anything to hurt Lucy: you so much as say one ill word to her or harm one hair on her head, you'll have me to answer to. And you know what the last person who tried to mess with Lucy said?"

"What?" Jude asked.

"Nothing. 'Cuz he wasn't able to once I was done with him."

Jude's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. "I get the message."

"Good," Natsu replied. Jude set his hand on the door knob to the library, but Natsu wasn't done.

"And that goes for the baby, too!"

Jude stopped in his tracks. "Baby?"

"Oh, yeah, forgot to mention that didn't I? Lucy and I are having a baby. And if you think what I told about what will happen if you touch Lucy was bad, just try and even think about doing anything to our baby!"

Jude's eyes grew steadily wider. And wider. And wilder. And crazier. Yes, it was all making sense now! But that meant-

He turned back to Natsu. So that's where he'd seen him before. In that article. But that meant-oh, no!

"Your E.N.D," he said in a shaky voice as he pointed to Natsu. "The little brother of Zeref whom he turned into a-"

"Hey, the name's Natsu, bucko!"

"That's it!" Jude gasped, putting a hand to his head. "It all makes sense now but...no. No, no, no!" He lunged forward and grabbed Natsu by the collar of his shirt.

"Hey, hands off!"

"You idiot! Do you realize what you have done!?"

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:**

"Let go," Natsu yelled as he twisted his way out of Jude's grasp. "Whatta ya think you're doing, old man?"

"Do you know what you've done?" Jude asked again, eyes wild.

"What I've done-what are you blabbing about?" Natsu waved his arms wildly in confusion.

Levy stepped out of the library, obviously concerned. "Is everything okay?"

Jude turned to her. "Please tell me Lucy's not pregnant!"

"Wha-" Levy took a step back.

"Do you know what this means?" Jude continues.

"No…" Levy's brows furrowed.

"What's the big deal!" Natsu shouted. "We're having a baby, so what? You don't like it, you can go-"

"You're going to unleash the Flames of Tartarus!" Jude exclaimed.

"We're gonna do what of huh for who?" Natsu asked, eyebrow arched.

"The Flames of Tartarus!" Jude exclaimed again. "The prophecy I've been hunting down, that's what it was about. And now you're going to unleash them!"

A short silence followed.

"I don't get it," Natsu finally answered.

"I…" Levy scratched the back of her head, clearly confused. Jude leaned back against the wall, covering his face in his hands.

"To think my own daughter was part of the key in all of this!"

"Will you quit being vague and spill it already!" Natsu waved his arms again.

"Tartarus," Levy murmured. "I've heard of that before."

"Yeah, we've fought them plenty of times in the past," Natsu agreed. "So I don't see why it's a probl-"

"No, that's TartarOS," Jude explained, running his hands over his face. "I'm talking about TartarUS."

"Huh?" Natsu cocked his head to one side, clearly confused.

"Tartarus is a legendary inner-dimensioal prison of sorts," Levy explained. "I've read about it a few times but I was under the impression it was just a myth."

"I wish that were the case," Jude sighed.

"So...what's a spooky prison from another word have to do with-"

"Natsu?" everyone turned as Lucy's soft voice came from behind them. The woman in question was stumbling, still half-asleep, down the hall.

"Lucy," Natsu walked to her side and set a hand on her shoulder. "I thought you were still asleep."

"I was, but..." she didn't finish her sentence. She didn't need to. Natsu had seen that look on her face many times before. She'd had another nightmare. He ran his hand up sher shoulder and neck to the back of her head, cradling it as he pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Sorry, Love, I didn't mean to be gone this long."

"It's okay."

"Lucy," Jude stepped towards his daughter. "Are you pregnant."

Lucy blinked, a bit surprised by the question. She hadn't told him-

-Natsu had probably let it slip. She sighed. That was her crazy dragon boy.

"Yes," she answered.

"By him," Jude pointed to Natsu.

"Hey!" Natsu frowned.

"Yes," Lucy answered again, brows furrowed.

Jude groaned, covering his face in his hands.

"You've got a problem with that?" Lucy crossed her arms.

"I should have come back sooner," Jude sighed. "I should have sent you word about this with the clock hand. But how was I to know that my own daughter would be a part of the prophecy!"

"What prophecy?" Lucy asked.

Jude sighed, pulled a velvet envelope out of his pocket, and passed it to Lucy. She opened it, and pulled out a piece of paper written in some ancient language.

"Um…" she mumbled, staring with raised eyebrows, not having the slightest clue how to read the note.

"May I?" Levy asked, reaching out a hand. Lucy passed it to her.

"Hm…" Levy bit her tongue as she read. "Okay, this is going to be a bit of a rough translation but...the basic gist is ' _After the end has come, the elder of it's darkness and etherial light will set about the titans burden, and the Flames are Tartarus will be reignited._ "

"And that means…" Natsu shrugged.

Levy frowned at the paper for a little while longer, then her eyes widened in realization. "Oh…" she breathed.

"You see? You see now?" Jude grabbed Levy's shoulders, shaking from anxiousness. "You see what's happening? They are-"

 _Clunk!_

An iron pole appeared from further down the hall and knocked Jude in the back of the head, sending him tumbling to the ground.

"Galjeel!" Levy scolded.

"You're welcome," the iron dragon slayer grumbled as he raced to his fiance's side and set a foot into Jude's chest as he still lay groaning on the ground. "What's the big idea, punk? Think you can just go around grabbing my fiance like that?"

"Galjeel, please, this is not necessary," Levy grabbed his arm and began trying to pull him off Jude. In truth, it was pointless. Galjeel could have lifted three of her with one hand. None-the-less he followed her lead, taking two steps back, but keeping an arm stretched in front of Levy, seperating her from Jude.

"What are you all screaming about?" he askes once he'd stepped off Jude. "I could here you idiots all the way in the kitchen."

"Heck if I know!" Natsu exclaimed. "Something about fire, and titans, and a dark guild that's actually a prison!"

"What?" Galjeel arched an eyebrow.

"My thoughts exactly!" Natsu agreed.

Galjeel sighed in annoyance and turned to his fiance. "Shrimp?"

"Well...I could be wrong, but sounds like to me that the prophecy Mr. Heartfelia was tracking down is predicting that Natsu and Lucy's baby is the one who will bring back the Flames of Tartarus."

"And...what are those?" Natsu asked again.

"It's a bit of a long story, and I don't remember all the details," Levy began. "But there's an old legend about a race of beings known as the Titans. No one's really sure what they were. Some say they were celestial spirits who found a way to survive indefinately in our world. Others say they were demi gods. Some think they were just exceptionally powerful wizards. Irregardless of what they were, back in the time they supposedly lived there was no fire in our world. According to the legends the gods kept fire to themselves because they knew if humanity were to get their hands on it they would be able to advance, and forge civilazations, therefore leaving the dark ages behind them."

"Well, that's a pretty crappy thing to do," Natsu crossed his arms.

"The titans thought so, as well. So much so that one of the titans named Prometheus broke into the palace of the gods and stole some of their fire. He and the other titans then passed out it amongst the humans, but kept some of the stronger flames for themselves. Using the flames they each developed a type of fire magic. Each of their flames were as unique as the magic they used to shape it to their will. Needless to say, the gods were not happy about this and waged a war with the titans. In the end the titans lost and were locked away in an inner dimensional prison called Tartarus, never to be seen again. Eventually they would perish in their prison. However, legend says that so powerful were their flames that even after the titans death, their fire burned on, just waiting for a being strong and worthy enough to cast the titans magic."

Silence fell over the group.

"So, you're saying that this person, the one that's going to bring the titan's magic back into our world is our baby?" Lucy asked.

"That's what this prophecy your dad found seems to be suggesting," Levy answered.

"Wait, wait, wait, how's a baby supposed to find and break into a prison that's not even in our world?" Natsu asked.

"And if that's the issue, Natsu and I will just keep an eye on the baby as he or she grows up to make sure they don't-"

"I'm afraind that's not how it's going to happen," Levy sighed.

Natsu and Lucy turned to her. Levy sighed and turned back to the prophecy. "Here, let me break this down. ' _After the end has come '-_ referring to Nastu, since he's E.N.D. _-'the elder-'_ can, and usually does, mean an authority figure of sorts. However, the word 'elder' can also refer to a firstborn child. '- _of it's darkness and an etherial light-.'_ 'Etherial' is a word that is often used interchangibly with celestial. Therefore, this first part is talking about the firstborn child of the E.N.D. and a Celestial Wizard: Natsu and Lucy's baby."

"This next part's a little trickier. '- _will set about the titans burden-'_ This is an ancient language that works a little differently than ours' does, but I'll try to explain this as simply as possible. In this language the phrase 'set about' essentially means 'beginning.' However, the speakers used it for multiple meanings. It could mean an entrance, like how a play or meeting beings once all the people invovled have entered or arrived."

"Okay, I guess that makes sense," Lucy nodded.

"Good, glad I was able to explain that well enough," Levy sighed, smiling a bit before getting serious again. "In this prophecy 'set about' has a double meaning. It's referring to the arrival, or rearrival, of the titan's magic, but it's also talking about the arrival of the elder who will bring about the Flames of Tartarus' reemergence. The birth of E.N.D and the Celestial Wizard's firstborn child, which will cause '- _the Flames are Tartarus will be reignited.'_ "

Silence fell over the group as everyone tried to process what they'd just heard.

"Do you get it now?" Jude asked as he stood up from the floor.

"So…" Lucy placed both hands on her abdomen. "Our baby isn't going to find the Flames of Tartarus. It's going to be born with them?"

Levy nodded slowly. Lucy gasped, clasping a hand to her mouth. Natsu just stared wide-eyed at Lucy's stomach.

"This is powerful, dangerous ancient magic we're talking about here," Jude explained. "I'm not sure if I believe in the whole war of the gods bit. I'm sure most of the story is an exageration of fabrication. All I know is that this type of magic has been sealed away in Tartarus for thousands of years. And now, thanks to you two imbeciles it's going to come back to our world!"

"Why is that so bad?" Natsu asked. "Babies are born with lots of magic energy everyday. Why would ours be any different?"

"Did you not hear what I just said? This magic has been locked away for thousand of years in an inner dimensional prison! That doesn't just happen!" Jude exclaimed.

Lucy and Natsu exchanged a worried glance.

"Do you even know what kind of power and effort it must have taken just to create Tartarus? Much less lock the titans, or whoever was using this fire magic away inside of it? Even if we were to gather every Celestial, Angelic, or god slayer wizard in Fiore I doubt we could recreate it. The only reason anyone would undertake such an endevour is if they had little to no other choice."

Lucy's arms tightened around her stomach.

"The Flames of Tartarus are dangerous!" Jude continued. "And now they are about to be unleashed upon the world once again thanks to that!" he pointed at Lucy's belly.

Lucy winced, taking two steps back. Natsu protectively stood in front of her, but Jude wasn't done.

"Do you see what you've done now? You may have just doomed us all!"

"Ah, come off it will you," Galjeel stepped up behind Jude.

"Excuse me?" the older man asked, turning around to face the giant behind him.

"So Salamander and Lucy's kid is going to be super powerful. Big deal! I coulda told you that even without some prophecy of legendary prisons. The kid's going to have the blood of a dragon slayer and the most powerful Celestial Wizard of our age, if not ever, in it's veins. Of course it's going to be powerful! This changes nothing."

"Did you not hear what I said? This magic has-"

"Been locked away for thousands of years, yeah, yeah. So what? If the makers of Tartarus really didn't want the Flames of Tartarus coming back, then they would have destroyed it."

"And how do you think they would have-"

"I dunno. But they built a prison in between dimensions, so I think they could have found a way to pull it off if they really wanted to," Galjeel pulled an empty can out of his pocket and tore off a bite, much to Jude's bewilderment. He soon recover and shook his head.

"Play optimism all you want. It doesn't change the fact that this-" he pointed to Lucy's stomach. "-has put all of us at risk."

"You don't know that!" Lucy shouted, tightening her arms around her stomach once again.

"Have any of you been paying attention to-"

"All you've said is that my baby is going to be powerful. That doesn't mean it's going to be dangerous! Only that it could be! But it could also become something amazing. It could change our world for the better."

"And if it doesn't?" Jude asks. "If it decides to use it's magic for it's own interests? Do you realize how catastrophic that could be?"

"We don't even know what this magic does!" Lucy shouted again, tears rolling down her cheeks. "We just know it's powerful and has something to do with fire. Natsu's a fire dragon slayer. If anyone can handle a powerful fire-wzard child he can."

"Yeah, and who are you to just assume our baby's going to be dangerous?" Natsu crossed his arms. "It's not even been born yet! Doesn't he or she deserve a chance to live and decide who they'll be for themselves?"

"At the risk of the rest of the world?" Jude questioned.

"Oh, cut the bull crap! You don't even know if that's a possibility!" Natsu stepped up and shouted in Jude's face.

"Not solidly, but given what we do know, it's safe to assume."

"Safe to assume my butt! Like metal head said-"

"Watch it, Salamander!"

"-we all knew that mine and Lucy's baby was going to be a powerful wizard. This changes nothing!"

"And how do you know that?" Jude challenged. "Can you tell the future?"

"You-"

"No," Lucy cut in, eyes bright with an idea. "But we know someone who can."

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:**

 _Step. Step. Step._ Everyone turned as they heard steps coming down the stairs into the kitchen. Natsu, Lucy, Levy, Galjeel, and Jude all filed in.

"Ugh! Finally!" Natsu cheered when he saw a pot on the stove and raced towards this.

"I'm assuming since you are all coming down here you found something?" Erza prompted.

"You could say that," Levy sighed as she began explaining.

"So the baby is going to be capable of wielding a lost brand of fire magic?" Erza questioned once the story was told.

"Basically," Levy nodded.

"While that is surprising, considering we don't even know what all this magic can do I see no reason to be concerned yet," Erza stroked her chin.

"That'sh what I shaid," Natsu said through a mouthful of stew.

"Are all you Fairy Tail members so reckless and careless?" Jude asked.

"Only the good ones," Gray replied.

"Of course," Jude sighed. "So who is this person that can see into the future?"

Carla stopped sipping a cup of tea at this and perked up. "Hm? Me?"

Lucy approached the white exceed. "Carla, is there any chance you've seen anything? Any vision that might help us?"

"No. Nothin-well, there was that…"

"What?" Lucy asked, Natsu racing to her side, his bowl of stew still in his hand.

"It happened before I even knew you were pregnant," Carla said. "I saw three men walking away from me. Well, more like running. They all wore black cloaks and I couldn't see their faces because they had their backs turned to me as they ran."

"Why were they running?" Lucy asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know," Carla replied. "One of them had a satchel of sorts, but I don't know what was in it."

"You think your vision has something to do with Natsu and Lucy's baby?" Happy asked.

"I'm not sure," Carla answered. "I suppose it's possible."

"Well, that didn't help," Galjeel grumbled.

"The day you're able to peer into the future come talk to me," Carla snapped before returning to her tea.

"Thanks anyways, Carla," Lucy said.

"So, now what?" Jude asked, arms crossed.

"Dere'sh awaysh Canash'sh cardsh," Natsu sputtered through a mouthful of stew.

"What?" Jude frowned.

"Swallow first, Love," Lucy sighed.

"That's what he said," Gray snickered, ducking a dirty plate that Lucy launched at his head.

Natsu also glared at the ice wizard as he swallowed his food down and repeated what he had said. "I said, there's always Cana's cards."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Welcome back, guys!" Mirajane waved from behind the counter as Lucy, Natsu, and Jude, dressed in a hooded cloak, walked into the guild hall. The rest of the group hung back a few steps. "How'd it go?"

"Well, we've got a lot of work to do before it will be ready for guests," Lucy replied as she approached her friend.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll figure it out," Mirajane smiled. "We're all really proud of you and super excited to see the recovery center once it's done."

"Thanks, Mira. By the way, have you seen Cana around anywhere? I need to ask her something."

"She was playing pool with Lisanna last I saw her," Mirajane answered.

"Thanks," Lucy smiled as she began to walk off, Natsu and Jude in tow. The rest of the group trailing a few steps behind them.

"No problem. Good to see you back safe and sound!"

Well, while they might be safe, sound was a different matter. Lucy ran a hand over her abdomen. Sure enough, Cana was lounged up against a pool table, watching Lisanna make her shot, a mug of beer in her hand.

"Hey, Cana," Lucy called.

"Hey, Lucy, what up?" the brunette asked as she embraced her friend.

"Lucy! Natsu!" Lisanna ran up and embraced both of her old friends. "Good to see you guys. Wow, Lucy, you're glowing!"

"Thanks," Lucy blushed.

"Yeah, pregnancy looks good on you. The little one not giving you too much trouble, is it?" Cana asked Lucy.

"Well, not exactly," Lucy sighed, returning her hand to her stomach.

"Any weird cravings yet?"

"No."

"Tell that to the waitress at the diner we stopped at on the way up here," Natsu mumbled under his breath.

"Oh. shut up!" Lucy crossed her arms as Cana laughed. "Anyways, can you do us a favor, Cana."

"Sure thing. What do you need?"

"Well, I need you to tell our baby's fortune," Lucy answered.

"Mm-kay," Cana arched an eyebrow. "Any reason why?"

"Is there something wrong?" Lisanna asked, clutching a concerned hand to her chest.

"We...we dont' know," Lucy sighed.

"Huh?"

"It's a bit of a long story," Levy offered as she stepped forward to explain.

"Well, that's...a lot…" Cana rubbed her forehead as she took another swig. "Might need a refill. I might be too sober for this."

"I'm pretty sure you have that backwards," Gray grumbled before Lisanna approached Natsu and Lucy.

"I'm sure it will be fine. After all magic isn't inherently good or bad. It's all about what the wizard casting it does with it."

"That's what I've been trying to say!" Natsu exclaimed. "But someone," he turned and glared at Jude, "Doesn't seem to get that."

Jude rolled his eyes in utter disdain.

"I'd watch that attitude, bub," Galjeel said as he stepped up to him. "You're on our terk now, so you better behave yourself."

"Or we'll make you," Erza added while gripping her sword all the tighter.

"I already said I was going to behave," Jude grumbled.

"Welp, now that that's settled, lemmee see if I can help you out a little," Cana said as she pulled out her cards. Everyone gathered around her table, pulling up chairs, or just standing. Lucy took a deep breath, trying to lessen her nerves. Natsu notices and entertwined his fingers with hers.

"Now let's see...well," Canabegan. "Lucy, you're old man was right about one thing. There's going to be lots of fire in your kid's future."

"Well, duh! It's my kid!" Natsu exclaimed.

"We're gonna need to work on our fire extinguishing spells," Gray whispered to Juvia.

"I heard that!" Natsu snapped.

"And...hm...uh, oh!" Cana's eyes grew wide.

"What?" Lucy asked anxiosuly.

"Holy smokes! We've gotta fire proof everything!" Cana jumped to her feet. "Quick, Lisanna, get me a list of all the kids born in the past five years, we'll have to cast protection spells on half of them!"

"Wait, wait, wait! Why?" Natsu asked.

"What is our baby going to do to put 50% of children under the age of five in danger?" Lucy's eyes grew wide.

"I knew it," Jude muttered.

"No! Not the baby, Natsu!" Cana exclaimed.

"Huh?" Lucy, Natsu, and Jude and all the rest of the group questioned at once.

"The baby's going to be a girl! We gotta make sure all the boys around her age have been fireproofed so Natsu doesn't burn them to ash!" Cana explained.

"Ha! I knew it!" Natsu shouted as he fist bumped. He smiled smuggly and turned to Lucy. "I told you it was a girl!"

"Uh-huh, sure," Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Well, I did, didn't I?" Natsu nudged with his shoulder.

Gray began snickering from behind the couple.

"What are you laughing at, brain freeze?" Natsu questioned.

"Nothing. Just imagining you wearing a tiara and lipgloss while seated at a tea party!"

Gray, Galjeel, Pantherlily, and Happy all busted out laughing.

"Shuttup," Natsu grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Maybe she'll give him a manicure," Galjeel added. "A different sparkly color on each finger!"

"Cut it out!" Natsu whined as he waved his arms.

"Don't laugh too hard, Galjeel," Cana grinned smuggly as she pulled a card out of the stack in her pocket. "Your first is gonna be a girl too."

"Wut?" Galjeel's face wnet blank as Natsu took his opportunity to point at laugh at him. Levy's eyes grew slightly wider as she placed a hand over her stomach.

"Um…" she looked to Cana questioningly.

"Oh, not right now," Cana waved the bluette off. "But in a few years you'll be getting a little Miss Redfox, mark my words."

"Hm, those black locks would look awfully pretty braided…"

"Watch it, Salamander!"

"Wait, what about me?" Gray asked, a little bit concerned.

"Oh, you get a boy first," Cana answered. "I didn't look into any kids after that though, so who knows what baby 2 or 3 is going to be."

"EEEEEEE!" Juvia squealed as she tackle-hugged Gray. "A little Gray to love and cuddle! I think I might faint from excitement."

"Choking. Can't breathe!" Gray gasped.

Lucy sighed and shook her head though a smile was playing on her lips. She loved the idea of a little girl whose hair she could braid, and whom she could dress in cute outfits and play dollhouse and tea parties with. All the things her mother never got to do with her. Cana went back to her cards, and her brow furrowed in concern.

"Is there something wrong?" Lucy asked.

"Erm…" Cana stared at the cards some more. "Oh, boy...yeah, something's wrong."

"What?" both parents asked worridly.

"Word about your baby's power is going to get out. Lots of unsavory people are going to try to get their hands on her so they can use her for their own gain before she's even born. Three to be exact. All of whom we've seen before."

"Three?" Carla whispered. The three men from her vision. So that's who she saw!

 _Boom!_

Natsu slammed one hand on the table, a flame burning in his other as his face twisted into a grimace of anger. "Who are they? And where are they at? I'll disentegrate them right here and now!"

"It doesn't work like that, charcoal brain," Cana sighed as she took another swig of her drink. "I can't tell who is going to come after your kid, only that they will."

"But only if word gets out?" Lucy asked hopefully. "So if we keep it a secret, she should be safe."

Cana shook her head as she looked back at the cards. "Word's already started leaking out."

"How?" Lucy asked, throat tightening. "The only people who know are the ones who were at the manor, and now you two!"

"Apparently not," Cana said. "Someone must have been spying on you without you knowing it."

Natsu all but growled as he stood up and began pacing, running his hands through his hair.

"Anything else you can tell us?" Jude asked. "Anything about the child itself."

"It's a girl. It's going to have powerful fire magic. That's about it," Cana said with a shrug.

"That's it?" Jude arched an eyebrow. "You can't see who it might become? Choices it might make? How it might want to use this power."

Cana shook her head. "Nope."

"Aren't you supposed to be a fortune teller?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can just guess everything's that's going to happen."

"Isn't that what fortune telling is?" Jude frowned.

"Alright, look, pal," Cana leaned forward, setting her mug down. "The future is a tricky thing. Unlike the past and present it ain't solid. It's a fluid. Now given certain circumstances I can usually say with 99% accuracy what's going to happen, but in the case of the baby there are no circumstances outside of that she's a girl and has some type of lost fire magic. Since she hasn't been born yet the world hasn't been able to shape or influence her. She's a blank canvas, so the number of possible paths she could take are endless at this point."

"Hmph," Jude grumbled as he crossed his arms. "So we're back to not knowing."

"I'd be more worried about who these three creeps going after your grandkid are than the kid itself," Cana said as she picked her mug back up.

"Grandkid?"

"Lucy's your daughter, this is her baby, therefore your grandkid."

Jude blinked. He hadn't thought of that.

"Natsu and Lucy are good people. They'll raise the kid to be the same way, so I wouldn't worry about it."

"Hm," Jude murmured as he seemed to lose himself in thought.

 _Shwap!_

Everyone jumped at the sound, and turned to find Natsu had punched the wall, leaving a decent side dent into it.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked as she stood to her feet and walked to his side. She'd seen that look in his eyes many times before.

Rage.

"I'll kill 'em," he hissed. "They even try to come near our baby I'll kill 'em!"

"You and everyone else in this guild, pal," Gray called from where he was still seated, Juvia in his lap still going ga-ga over their "little Gray."

"Aye, sir!" Happy cheered.

Natsu hardly acknowledged them. He just stared at the dent he'd left in the wall with anger still burning his eyes. Lucy gingerly set a hand on his shoulder. He turned to her. Her eyes were full of worry. She held one hand clutched to her chest as she stared at him, trying to both be comforting and seek comfort. It caused his gaze to soften slightly as he took both her hands in his and leaned his forehead against hers.

"You got anything else, Cana?" Gray asked.

"Afraid not, that's the best I can do right now," she replied as she stood to refill her mug.

"Well, at least we know there's a threat," Pantherlily said.

"Indeed. Until we've found their identity, though, we need to make sure the baby is well-guarded."

"How are you going to do that when it's still inside Lucy?" Happy asked.

"Guard Lucy, obviously," Carla sighed. She didn't look up at her mate, though. She was lost in thought, thinking about her vision. Those three men she saw, they must be the three wanting to get a hold of the baby. But who were they? What was in that satchel? And what did they want from the baby, exactly?

"Maybe Lucy should stay in the guild hall dorms," Wendy suggested. "That way there will be lots of wizards around her that could protect her.

"Hm. That's actually not a bad idea," Galjeel said, slapping Wendy on the back. "Good thinking, kiddo."

"Thanks," Wendy winced as she began rubbing her now sore shoulder.

"But, wait, where would I go?" Natsu asked.

"What do you mean?" Gray asked.

"Well, I can't sleep in the girl's dorm, and I'm not leaving my pregnant wife here alone, so where do I go?"

"She wouldn't be alone. She'd have half of Fairy Tail's female wizards with her," Erza said.

"So what! If you think I'm just gonna go on home while my wife's stuck here under lock and key you got another thing coming!"

"Would you calm down-" Gray said as he stood and walked, or rather shuffled as Juvia was still hanging off him with both arms and legs wrapped around him, towards the couple. Everyone was involved in the discussion at this point. Everyone but Carla.

Carla had stopped paying. She was lost in thought. There must be something else. Something she'd forgotten or wasn't seeing.

Then she remembered it. A symbol etched onto each of the men's cloaks. She immediately spread her wings and took off.

"Carla?" Happy asked. "Where ya going?"

"To get something, I'll be right back," she answered. True to her word she return with a piece of paper and a pencil and began sketching.

"Carla, did you see something?" Wendy asked as she drew to her friend's side, averting everyone's attention to her.

"There was a symbol on the back of each of the men in my vision's cloak," Carla answered as she finished her skethc and held it up. Silence over fell the room.

"Well, this isn't good," Gray muttered.

"Aye," Happy agreed.

Sketched on the paper was what looked like the Phantom Lord mark. Rather than a simple circle in the center of it, though, there instead sat the Raven Tail mark.

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:**

"The remnants of Raven Tail and Phantom Lord joining together to make one massive dark guild," Makarov sighed, arms crossed as he sat on the bar. It was dark now. Most everyone else had gone asleep, but the old master Laxus, and Mirajane were still up, talking about everything that had taken place.

"This is not good news for anyone, irregardless of this prophecy concering Natsu and Lucy's baby," the old saint grumbled, staring daggers into the floor.

"What should we do, Master?" Mirajane asked.

"Not much else we can do right now," Laxus said plainly. "We've already sent word to the Magic Council about Phantom Tail, or Raven Lord, or whatever they're calling themselves."

"Shouldn't we be doing something in the meantime, though?" Mirajane questioned.

"What do you suggest we do, Babe?" Laxus asked. "We don't have the slightest clue as to where they're hiding, so it's not like we can go take the fight to them."

"We could start looking," Mirajane suggested.

"No," Makarov shook his head. "Ivan will be expecting that. We send out small scouting parties and he'd pick us off one by one."

"Master, are you sure Ivan's involved in this?" Mirajane asked. "All we know is some of the former members of Raven Tail and Phantom Lord have banded together. We don't know if it's actually Ivan who's doing this."

"He had his entire guild jump me during the Magic Games in the middle of a battle round," Laxus reminded his wife. "If he'd do that to his own son he'd have no problem kidnapping a baby."

"Hmmmm." Makarov grumbled, staring all more intently at the floor. "It wouldn't be that far out of Jose's character either."

"But are you sure-"

"I'm positive," Makarov cut his granddaughter-in-law off. "The only question is who was the third person that Carla saw."

"Hm," Laxus rubbed his chin. "Good point, geezer."

A short silence fell over them.

"Well, I still say we ought to do something!" Mirajane insisted. "We can't just sit here and wait on the Magic Council to solve this for us!"

"I wasn't planning on that," Makarov said. "Only until they gave us the info we need to track the trouble makers down ourselves."

"You think they'd do that?" Laxus scoffed. "You know they hate our guts."

"Hm. True, but they hate dark guilds more."

"Fair point again."

"So we're just waiting on a bunch of stuffy politicians?" Mirajane crossed her arms.

"For now," Makarov nodded. "Until we learn more about where this new dark guild is and what exactly their plan for the baby is. In the meantime, we need to see to it that no one gets anywhere near Lucy."

"Should be simple, only an idiot would try to break into those girls dorms. She's safer there than she would be with old Doranbolt and his lackeys."

"Hmph. You should know. Aren't you the one who tried to break in to see old Mira here and ended up coming face to face with a bathing and angry Cana?" Makarov chuckled.

"Don't remind me," Laxus groaned as Mirajane giggled.

"As safe as the girl dorm's are, I think it would be best to play on the cautious side. I hate to ask the two of you to stay here for the night, but-"

"We were kinda already planning on it," Laxus said.

"Really?" Makarov looked surprised.

"Well Mirajane planned on it, I'm just going along because I don't want to be on the couch when we do get back home," Laxus explained.

"He's so supportive," Mira smiled as she ran her fingers through his head.

"Thank you both," Makarov smiled as he stood up. "I'm going to do a sweep of the hall real quick. I'll stand guard on the roof for a little while after that. I'd suggest you both get some rest. I'll have to swap out with one of you at some point tonight."

"Sure thing," Laxus stood up and headed towards one of the couches in lounge of the guild hall. Makarov hopped off the bar with Mirajane's help and began walking through the various halls and floors. Once he'd cleared everything he climbed to the top of the hall to look about the grounds. As he looked towards Fairy hills he noticed a small bundle in front of the door of the girl's dorm. Frowning in concern he jumped down from the roof, using his growth magic to lessen the blow and headed towards Fairy Hills. Rather than finding anything sinister, though, he found Natsu curled up in a blanket on the front door step, snoring peacefully. Happy was perched ontop of his head, muttering something about fish. Makarov sighed as he watched him sleep. The poor boy had been in a foul mood ever since Carla and Cana's prediction. Not that Makarov blamed him.

"It's a horrible feeling, isn't it, my boy?" he sighed softly. "Knowing that your child is in danger and not being able to do anything about it."

Natsu shifted slightly, letting out a wide yawn before settling back down. Happy too turned and then settled back into the pink forest that was Natsu's hair.

Makarov chuckled. "Yes, well, at least you aren't having to go through it alone. You've got the whole guild looking out for you and that baby."

"How's he doing?" came a familiar voice from behind the old man.

"Ah, Erza. I was wondering whether or not you'd stay the night."

"I feel like I'd be of more use guarding the hall than laying about at home," the red-head said as she stepped towards the master. "Besides, home's been a bit too quiet for my liking lately."

"Ah. Still haven't heard from Mystogan have you?" Makarov stopped, and chuckled. "Sorry, I meant Jellal. Old habits die hard I'm afraid."

"It's quite alright. I don't think he'd mind going by that name," Erza smiled before growing serious. "But no, I haven't heard from him."

"I'm sure he's fine," Makarov assured her. "He's a tough one, that husband of yours."

"I know," Erza nodded. "Still, I can't help...nevermind…"

"You can't help but worry. I understand. No matter how much faith we have in our loved ones, it's difficult to not be concerned with their wellbeing."

"Exactly," Erza nodded.

"Hm. I wish I could be of some comfort to you. I could sit here and tell you he's going to be fine all night, but I feel that it won't do you any good until you see him for yourself."

"I'll be fine," Erza insisted. "I'm not the one who had a joint dark guild going after my unborn child."

"Yes," Makarov's face darkened as he turned and looked back at the sleeping Natsu. "Well, at least he's sleeping."

"Mind if I go inside to check on Lucy?" Erza asked.

"Fine by me, but I don't live here," Makarov shrugged as he headed back to the guild hall. Erza stepped over Natsu and pushed the door open. Cana was passed out in the floor, empty booze bottle surrounding her.

"Typical," Erza shook her head. Levy was seated on a rug, books spread out all around her, pencil tucked behind her ear, notepad in hand.

"Levy?" Erza asked.

"Hm, oh, hi, Erza!"

"Any reason why Natsu's sleeping outside?"

Levy rolled her eyes. "We told him he could come in. Said we'd make an exception, but he wouldn't have it."

"Why not?"

"He was scared one of the girls would walk around in their underwear, or go steaking to the public bathrooms, or something like that. 'I can't risk seeing that, I'm a married man!' he'd said."

Erza chuckled and shook her head. "His simple-mindedness can actually be quite endearing at times."

"He and Lucy haven't even been married a year yet," Evergreen said as she entered the lobby, a peacock feather fan in her hands. "Just wait, it'll wear off."

"You sure of that?" Levy narrowed her eyes. "This is Natsu we're talking about."

"Fair enough, brainiac," Evergreen snapped her fan closed, looking to Erza with slight disdain. "So, _Scarlet,_ what brings you here."

"For the last time, it's Fernandez now," Erza rolled her eyes. "And I'm here to check on Lucy."

"Apologies. And she's in Wendy's room."

Erza walked past Evergreen to head upstairs.

"Y'know, the whole battle of the fairies thing was cute when we were teens but now it's just annoying," Levy sighed as she flipped the page in her book.

"Whatever, you're probably just jealous you don't have any claim to anything fairy."

"Yeah, the girl engaged to a dragon slayer and is an S class wizard is jealous of Medusa and her fans."

Evergreen gasped, snapping her fan closed. "Silence, you! What are you scribbling about over there, anyways."

"I'm doing some research on the titans to see if we can get any idea of what their magic will be like."

"Ah, yes. The whole prophecy that's got everyone in a tizzy," Evergreen hanned herself. "Well, have you found anything useful."

"Sort of," Levy scratched the back of her head. "Problem is that the titans lived so long ago it's hard to tell what's real and what's not anymore. I did find this interesting painting of the Titaness Eos, though," Levy picked up a canister, unscrewed it, and pulled out a rolled up painting. As she unrolled it she revealed a picture of a fair headed woman flying under the sun with a pair of red and orange wings.

"Are those wings made of fire?" Evergreen asked, eyebrows raised in genuine wonder.

"That's what it looks like. Though, this painting wasn't made until a century or so after the titans defeat, all the accounts of Eos describe her being able to fly alongside the sun, so…"

"So Natsu and Lucy's baby will be able to use her fire to make wings and fly?" Evergreen asked, fanning herself. "My, my, that'll be fun to watch. Those goofballs will have a hard time keeping up with her at the park."

"It certainly seems like that's going to be the case. Well, part of it," Levy put the painting back. "That's just one of the titans. There's over a dozen of them. Eighteen to be exact."

"And the baby will be able to use all of their magic abilities?" Evergreen's eyes widened at the prospect.

"According to that prophecy Lucy's dad found," Levy nodded, flipping through her book some more.

"Hm, so what other nifty little tricks will the tot have up her sleeve."

"Like I said, it's hard to tell because it's been so long since this magic was last seen. The best I can do are make assumptions based off of the information we have left."

"Assumptions, like…" Evergreen waved her fan to gesture for Levy to continue.

"Well, another titaness named Rhea was described as being motherly and protective. Several accounts have said that her love burned hotter than a flame."

"So? That's just an old saying," Evergreen shrugged.

"Maybe, except the accounts also say that she used her love to protect the ones she loved, suggesting some kind of protection magic. Though how it works and how it's cast I don't know. Then there's Atlas, a man with such a strong endurance that he was able to carry the sky on his back for days on end."

"Oh, please!" Evergreen scoffed. "Carry the sky? That's rediculous."

"True, but again, his endurance was said to burn hotter than a flame. I guess that means when she's older the baby will be able to endure through a battle or hardship much longer than the average wizard."

"So you're saying she's going to be stubborn?" Evergreen arched an eyebrow. "I could have told you that. She's got Natsu's blood in her."

Levy sighed in annoyance and narrowed her eyes at Evergreen. "Once again, it's all speculation."

"So what other 'speculations' do you have."

"Not much else, actually. Finding out information on the titans outside of the main legend of Tartarus turned out to be harder than I thought."

"So she's going to be able to grow wings and fly, cast some sort of protection spell, and she'll be stubborn? Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see anything worth getting worked up over."

Levy lifted her head from her book and gave Evergreen a glare.

"Don't get me wrong. Those fire wings are quite impressive looking. But so far I haven't seen anything too far out of the ordinary. Nothing your average S class wizard can't either perform or counter act, as it were."

"Hm," Levy's brow furrowed as she read on in her book.

"Unless there's something you haven't told me," Evergreen pushed.

"Well…" Levy bit her tongue as she thought. "I have seen a lot of references to Prometheus' Flame, but I can't figure out what that means exactly…"

"Prometheus was the one who stole the fire in the first place, wasn't he?" Evergreen asked.

Levy nodded. "Therefore his flame is the most pure. It's the first fire that was ever brought to humanity, so the legend goes."

"So what's that mean? That is was the most pure?"

"I don't know," Levy sighed. "I've been able to track down paintings or poems about the other Titans and their supposed powers, though I'm still having trouble figuring out what they were exactly, but not Prometheus. It's like no one ever saw him using magic."

"Or if they did they didn't live to tell the tale," Evergreen suggested.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Levy sighed.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

 _Creak…_

Erza carefully opened the door to Wendy's room. Lucy was lying on Wendy's bed, the sky dragon maiden out either playing or exploring elsewhere in the dorm building. Lucy was awake, staring at her stomach, running small circles on it.

"You should be resting," Erza said.

"Hey, Erza," Lucy said in a faint voice, not even looking up to acknowlegde her.

Erza walked over and sat in a chair across from the expectant mother.

"You know that nothing will happen to your child, correct?" Erza asked. "The entire Fairy Tail guild is dedicated to protecting her. Phantom Tail or Raven Lord would be fools to try and take her from us."

"They are fools, though," Lucy stated as she rolled over on her back. "That's the problem."

"True," Erza nodded. "Fools we've defeated before. And we've gotten stronger since then."

"So have they, though."

"Yes, but thanks to Carla's vision we've been able to get a few steps ahead of them. We have the advantage. And we will use it for all it's worth."

"Hm," Lucy sighed, still rubbing circles on her stomach. Erza sat for a little while longer, then stood and walked out. Lucy didn't pay it much time, until she heard a familiar voice shouting:

"Erza, put me down! Stop it! If you were wanting to sweep me off my feet you should have done it earlier! I'm a married man! Let go!"

Erza kicked the door back open, Natsu slung over her shoulder. She all but dumped him onto the floor.

"Ouch! What the-"

"Your wife needs you. Comfort her," Erza said plainly before turning around and leaving.

Natsu sat up and turned to Lucy. "Luce?"

"Hey," Lucy smiled faintly.

"You okay?" Natsu asked, squatting next to the bed.

"Are you?" Lucy asked back.

Natsu opened his mouth to answer, but stopped, closed it, and sighed.

"No," he finally said. "A dark guild's after my baby, my wife's in danger, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. Of course I'm not okay! I wanna go track those punks down and burn them to ash! Then disentegrate the ashes!"

Lucy reached over and began running her fingers through his hair. "I'm sure you'll get the chance."

"Oh, I will. Ain't no two ways about that," Natsu growled. "But I want to go now!"

"We can't, we don't know where they are."

"That's the problem!" Natsu shouted. "The longer it takes us to find them, the more time they have to come up with the plan, and the more danger you and the baby are in!"

"Master sent word of the joint guilds formation to the Magic Council-"

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" Natsu scoffed. "Since when have those windbags been any good to anyone! Honestly, I'd almost take Ichiya and his Blue Pegasus freaks over them."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Lucy perked up.

"Hey, I said almost," Natsu scooted back, a bit scared as to where this was going.

"If we let our friends from the other guilds know then they can help us keep an eye out for them. The more eyes we've got looking out for them the better chance we have of catching them."

"Fine, as long as Ichiya and his goons don't get any bright ideas."

"That's rich coming from the guy who laughed at me fighting them off last time we met up with them. Which happened to be the day we got back from our honeymoon, by the way." Lucy grumbled.

"I know you can hold your own against them. Besides, that was before my little girl came into the picture."

"YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THEM HITTING ON THE BABY? SHE'S NOT EVEN BORN YET, YOU WEIRDO!"

"You think that's going to stop those freakshows?" Natsu's eyes narrowed.

Lucy face-palmed. "Natsu, it is too early in the game for you to be getting Over-Protective Daddy Syndrome!"

"Says who?"

"Maybe Cana had a point when she said we needed to fireproof every boy under the age of five…"

"Hmph," Natsu turned his head away from her. "Guess I gotta start working on a counter spell."

"Natsu, no!"

Natsu turned around to say something, but stopped, and snapped his head around to the window.

"Wha-"

"Sh!"

Natsu began creeping up to the window. Lucy craned her neck to see, but couldn't find anything. In a print, Natsu jumped to his feet, threw the window open, and leaned out. "Hey!"

Lucy couldn't see, but she could hear the sound of someone running along the roof.

"Lucy, go find Erza and hide!" Natsu shouted as he climbed out the window and raced after the spy.

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven:**

Lucy watched in horror as her husband fled out the window. She could see a thin, slightly familiar figure raced away.

"Natsu!" she started to race towards the window. She could see him chasing someone dressed in all black. She fumbled at her belt for her keys, the pointed one out the window.

"Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!"

In a flash of yellow light Loke appeared on the roof.

"Hey, beautiful, how you been?"

"Could you please stop calling me that. I'm a married woman now. And go help Natsu!" she pointed in the direction of her husband.

"Yeesh, just trying to be polite," Loke said as he adjusted his glasses, turned and followed after the two. Lucy turned and raced out to the hall.

"Erza!" she called as she busted into the lobby. She found Erza leaned over a stack of papers Levy and Evergreen were showing her.

"Erza!" Lucy called again.

"What's wrong?" Erza asked.

"Someone was spying on us! Natsu's already gone after them!"

"Say no more," Erza nodded as she raced out the door, requipping into her Heaven Wheel's armor midstep.

"C'mon, Lu-Lu," Levy said, running to her friend's side. "Let's get you somewhere safe."

"This way," Evergreen indicated the way with a flourish of her fan.

"Shouldn't I be out there with them?" Lucy asked.

"Are you kidding?" Evergreen gapsed. "You're the one they're after! We've got to keep you as far from their grasp as possible!"

"Think about the baby, Lu-Lu. You've gotta keep her safe," Levy reminded her.

"And the only way you can do that is by keeping yourself safe," Evergreen continued.

Lucy sighed. "Okay."

"Come along, we've gotta hide you away somewhere," Evergreen fanned herself as she led the way down to the basement.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"GET BACK HERE!" Natsu screeched as he threw a ball of fire at the intruder, who was racing a few steps ahead of him into the forest behind Fairy Hills. Before the flame hit him though, the intruder disappeared into a poof of dust, causing a tree behind him to ignite.

"What the-" Natsu frowned.

A sharp pain erupted across the back of his skull and he fell face first into the dirt.

"Ouch, what the-"

"So we meet again, Fairy scum!" A hissing voice chuckled.

Natsu's eyes narrowed. "I know that voice. And that smell." He jumped to his feet and whirled around. Behind him was a thin man with black hair, black lipsticks, beady eyes, and dressed dressed in all black.

"You're that copy-cat freak from Raven Tail, ain't ya?" Natsu growled. "Black...something."

"You remember me," the man hissed. "Maybe you're not as stupid as everyone says you ar-"

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"

The Black Snake barely dogded a fire punch, and sommersaulted to safety.

"If you're trying to make me mad YOU'RE WAY BEYOND THAT!" Natsu thundered, sending out a flurry of punches. The Black Snake hissed and chuckled as he dodged each blow, smile growing wider with every time Natsu missed.

 _The crap? Why can't I hit this guy!_

"You're slow!"

Natsu opened his mouth to reply, only to have it slammed shut with a kick that sent him on his back.

"Ergh!" He growled as he stood back up. Slowly, making sure to play up any pain he was feeling. Which wasn't much. Puny kick barely phased him. He just need this punk to think it had.

The Black Snake chuckled menacingly again and went to attack again-

-only to have have his kick blocked by Natsu's fist clamping down around his ankle.

"Eh?" the black snake asked before being jerked forward and slammed into one of the nearby trees. Natsu then raised the Black Snake over his head and slammed him onto the ground in front of him.

The Raven Tail wizard let out a noise that sounded like a strangled cat.

"FIRE DRAGON-"

Before Natsu could even lay the punch the black snake disappeared into another cloud of dust.

"Aw, c'mon! Where's you-"

"LION BRILLIANCE!"

A bright light engulfed the forest, though it's brilliance didn't phase Natsu in the least. He'd seen this spell plenty of times before, and took full advantage of the seconds bought him.

Black Snake was right behind him apparently going for another strike before the light blinded him.

"FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

The black snake flew into the air, engulfed in flame just as the light died down.

"Loke," Natsu turned to find the celestial spirit running towards him.

"Lucy told me to come help you out," Loke explained.

"Ah, that's my girl," Natsu smiled as the Black snake came tumbling back towards the ground.

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"

Just as the Black snake got into range Natsu hit him with the attack, sending him spiralling towards a tree. The blast and the poor soul unfortunate to have met the brunt of it took an entire chunk out of the trunk. The tree creeked, and began to lean dangerously to one side. The Black Snake kept flying until he hit another tree, this one finally stopping him in his tracks.

"So whose this creep?" Loke asked as he drew nearer, pointing to the Black Snake who was now trying to stand to his feet. Natsu glared. Nope! No way he was letting this creep get away. Natsu didn't answer, but instead jumped straight into the air.

"Hey-" Loke called, but it was no use.

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

The ground ignited into a brilliant flame that bored a crater into it, forcing the Black Snake into the bottom of it.

"Dude, will you chill?" Loke asked.

Another choking cat noise came from the crater as the Black Snake pulled himself out of the hole. He all but had to crawl his way to level ground. Natsu smiled wickedly. That oughtta show 'em! The Black Snake slowly lifted his head. He still had an evil grin on his face.

"Don't take it personal," he said in a slimy voice. "You softhearted fairies wouldn't know the first thing about raising a child of that breed. Master Ivan will be sure to give it the proper, stern, _treatment_ that it needs to flourish."

Natsu all but hissed. Images of Flare Corona covered in bruises and trembling in fear. The very idea that Ivan would even entertain such ideas for his child…

"GrrrRRRAAA **UUUUUGGHHHHHH!"**

The ground shook as Natsu raced, or rather pounced, toward the Dark Guild member.

 _This piece of-_

"FIRE DRAGON CLAW!" He kicked the Black Snake in the chest, burning a hole the size of his foot into his foe's shirt as he stumbled back into the crater. No, flying! For the first time since the battle started, the scum actually let out a cry of pain.

 _Good! That's what he gets-_

Natsu followed him into the hole this time, teeth gritted, his entire body shaking.

"Wha-wha-what are you?" the Black Snake chuckled. A nervous, terrified chuckle. Clearly the poor fellow found nothing funny about his predicament, but couldn't find any other possible response.

"Natsu, what are you doing, you idiot?" Loke asked as he raced to the edge of the crater and peered in.

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" Natsu slammed the attack on the top of the Black Snake's skull, sending his face flying into the dirt, where it promptly got stuck. The force of the impact was so hard that it had buried the Black Snakes entire head in the dirt.

"FIRE-"

"Dude, I think he's had enough!" Loke called.

"YOU KIDDING ME!?" Natsu turned on the spirit. "HE"S ONE OF THE PUNKS GOING AFTER MY BABY!"

"I get that, but-"

"NO BUTS!" Natsu raged, turning back to the Black Snake. "IF HE THINKS HE CAN MESS WITH MY DAUGHTER, HE'S GOT ANOTHER-"

 _Clang!_

Rather than his fist colliding with the squishy body of the Raven Tail punk, it ran into something hard, sending shockwaves of pain through his arm.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" he whined as he stepped back, shaking his hand to rid it of the throbbing that was attacking it.

"That's enough!" the firm voice of Erza called. Natsu looked up to find said warrior standing between him and his prey, decked in her Adamantine Armor.

"What the crap Erza!? That really hurt!"

Erza lowered her shield, eyes narrow. "Maybe, but at least it snapped you out of your Dragon Force."

Natsu blinked. "Dragon Force? I wasn't using-"

"Yeah you were!" Loke called as he slid into the crater. "You activated it right after he said Fairy Tail wouldn't be capable of raising the baby.

Natsu blinked. He had? Eh, good riddance!

"Now how is slaughtering a man using your Dragon Force going to accomplish anything?" Erza asked.

"I'm honestly surprised you didn't already kill him," Loke stated.

"So what?" Natsu shrugged. "He had it coming! And it would make me feel better. One less creep I gotta-"

 _Smack!_

"Ouch! Loke, what the-"

"That's for Lucy since she's not here to do it herself," Loke said, adjusting his glasses. "You know as well as anyone else that killing a member of this joint guild will only make things worse."

Natsu just growled, rubbing his sore cheek.

"Indeed. It would only give them a reason to attack us," Erza said. "And with the excuse of a fallen comrade any authority that gets involved with the war to follow would only look down on us."

Natsu grumbled some more and crossed his arms, though he knew they were right.

"Besides," Erza continued, looking at the unconcious and very well cooked dark wizard. "Now we have a captive we can interrogate."

The corners of Natsu's mouth curled up into an evillish grin.

"Alright, now I'm fired up!"

"You can't kill him in the interrogation, either," Erza warned.

"Oh, I won't," Natsu's evil grin widened as his eyes narrowed. "I'll just make him wish he were dead."

"Very well," Erza requipped back into her regular armor as Loke threw the unconcious Black Snake over his shoulder.

"I'll go ahead and carry this creep back to the guild hall. I'm sure Gramps would _love_ to have a chat with him."

"I'll go with you," Erza offered. "Natsu, you better go back and check on Lucy."

"What!? No way! I'm not done with this punk yet!" Natsu protested.

"We can handle him if he wakes up, don't worry," Erza assured him.

"Pretty sure that's gonna be a while, though, after that beating you gave him," Loke said.

"That's not the point!" Natsu insisted. "It's my family he's messing with so it's me he's gonna have to deal with!"

"I think he's dealt with you enough for one night," Loke readjusted hsi glasses. "Anymore and he'll keel over dead."

"Besides, I'm sure Lucy's worried about you. You should at least let her know you're okay. And not by just shouting down the hall as you pass by! Let her actually see you," Erza said.

Natsu crossed his arms and grumbled. Once again, he knew they were right. If the tables had been turned and Lucy had gone off to fight some creepy stalker while he was forced to stay behind he'd be worried too. Not that he'd ever let that happen. But still…

"Okay, fine," Natsu finally gave in. "But if he wakes up you gotta let me know."

"Very well," Erza nodded, and she and Loke headed back to the guild hall as Natsu headed for Fairy Hills. Wendy, Levy, and Evergreen were standing guard at the door when he returned.

"Did you get him?" Wendy asked.

"Pfft! Is that even a question?" Natsu asked as he ruffled the younger dragon slayer's hair.

"So where is he?" Evergreen asked.

"Erza and Loke are taking him back to the guild hall. Said somethin' about letting Gramps have a word with him once he wakes up. Better not let the old geezer get to him before I do, though."

"Not sure who I'd be more afraid of if I were him…" Levy pondered as she stroked her chin.

"Hey!" Natsu looked offended.

"Sorry, just saying," Levy shrugged.

"Whatever, where's Luce?"

"Hiding in the basement. In a room behind the third bookshelf to the left after you take the first ladder the the right down to the second level, and the thrid ladder to the front to the third story," Evergreen answered.

"Wut?" Natsu arched an eyebrow.

"Come on, I'll show you," Wendy offered, leading the way.

"Men," Evergreen rolled her eyes as they walked towards the basement door.

"I heard that," Natsu called.

"Ooh, I'm shaking in my custom leather pumps!"

"I don't know what those are, but you should be," Natsu replied, half jokingly as he followed Wendy down the steps and two sets of ladder to a book shelf with a bust ov Mavis sitting on it.

"This is a fallout shelter we have hidden here in case the dorms come under attack," Wendy explained as she pulled on the bust and the bookshelf swung out to reveal a secret room with an obviously frightened Lucy sitting in the middle of the floor.

"Natsu!" she cried as she hopped to her feet and sprang towards him, all but jumping into his awaiting arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked, cradling her back and shoulders.

Lucy nodded, pulling away from him slightly so she could see his face. "I'm fine. What about you?" she asked as she cupped his cheek in her hand. "You're not hurt are you?"

"Nah, you kidding?" Natsu answered. "That creep didn't stand a chance!"

Lucy smiled, though there was still a glint of worry in her eyes. "I don't guess he was working with anyone else. Or that-" her voice caught in her throat. "Or that he said what exactly they want with the baby."

"No," Natsu answered, shaking his head. By this point Wendy had scampered back upstairs to give the couple some space.

Lucy lowered her head, worry completely engulfing her chocolate brown eyes.

"Hey," Natsu cupped her chin in his hand and lifted her gaze towards him. "We got one of their lackeys. Whatever they were planing for tonight didn't pan out for them, and neither will anything else."

Lucy tried to smile, but she clearly was still worried. Natsu sighed, he hated seeing her like this. He drew her closer to him again, letting her nuzzle her face against his chest. He tried to think. There had to be something he could do to cheer her up, or atleast take her mind off their situation for a few minutes. He lifted his head and saw the door to the lockdown room was still open. His eyes narrowed mischivously as he scooped her into his arms bridal style.

"Enough about all that, though," he said, carrying her back into the room and closing the bookshelf behind them, engulfing them in darkness.

"Natsu, what are you-"

"I can't seem to recall the last time you and I spent any _quality_ time together," Natsu answered in a low, husky, voice as he pinned her against the wall, one hand on either side of her head, his chest pressed up against hers. He made sure to be a bit more gentle than usual, but still wasted no time in snaring her lips with his.

"Mm," Lucy gasped, eyes wide as he gently coerced her into letting him deepen the kiss. A bit unusual for him. Normally if he really wanted to initiate a more passionate kiss he'd just do it. He knew she wouldn't protest. Or, on the off chance she did, she'd make sure he knew it. Turn away, make an unapproving noise. Something like that. He wasn't being quite that bold tonight, though. He was taking his time. Letting her keep up with him. For now. Knowing Natsu it was probably just a tease. A way to lull her into a false sense of control before he caught her off guard and ravaged her. Still, she was game.

"Hm," she hummed as she closed her eyes and gave in, letting her fingers get tangled in his hair. A growl rumbled in his throat as she scraped her nails along his scalp. He broke away from her lips the trace a line of soft kisses starting from under her ear, down her jawline, to her neck.

"I know what you're trying to do," Lucy said as his hands lefts their posts on the wall, and instead opted to keep her in place by gripping her hips.

"Hm?" he asked in feign innocence, never letting his lips stop working along her neck.

"I know you're trying to distract me from everything that's happened."

"Is it working?" he asked, finally stopping in their journey right where her neck met her shoulder, only to have his warm breath tickle her skin. A small shiver snaked along her spine, but she still shook her head.

"No, not yet," she answered.

"Guess I gotta take it up a few notches," he said before taking a nibble of her ear lobe. She hissed, her nails digging deeper into his scalp.

"Better?" he whispered into her ear, his breath sending more shivers down her spine.

"Getting there," she replied in a bit of a strained voice.

Natsu chuckled seductively, trailing more kisses down her throat, these more passionate and, if it were even possible, even slower than the ones before. After an eternity he'd snaked his way to the other side of her neck and began nibbling on her other ear.

"Working now?" he asked, his nose still brushing against the side of her face.

"Hm...wha-" Lucy gasped, casuing him to chuckle again.

"I'll take that as a yes," he whispered in a husky voice.

"That doesn't mean you can stop," she snapped, gripping her hands behind his neck to hold him in place and keep him from leaving her hanging.

"Oh, I'm just warming up," he assured her, taking her hands in his and pinning them above her head against the wall, leaning in to kiss her lips once more.

A small sliver of light broke through the darkness, causing both of them to break the kiss and snap their heads to the door where Evergreen stood, her fan still in her hand.

"Oh, my," she gasped, hiding her smirk behind the peacock feathers. "Well, I was coming down here to see if you two were alright, but seems you're doing even better than I thought!"

"Evergreen!" Lucy shrieked, horrified.

"You gotta be friggin' kidding me," Natsu grumbled.

"Oh, please, don't let me stop you!" Evergreen chuckled as she began to close the door back. "Enjoy your fun! Just don't go and accidently make twins."

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve:

AN: I have a headcannon that the Black Snake (Kurohebi) is into alternative styles so years later (when this story takes place) he got gages. Also WARNING: some pretty graphic descriptions of plans of torture in this chapter (nothing actually happens, just sick villains being sick villains and making sick plans)

It was early dawn, still dark out as Jude tiptoed his way down the guild hall corridors, leading to the "holding rooms," only called that because guild halls weren't allowed to have official prisons or dungeons. Once he reached the door he was looking for he was met by three wizards, one man and two women, all with platinum blonde almost white hair and blue eyes. The man was massive, a beast almost. The two women, however, were quite pretty, delicate looking creatures, almost identical except one had long hair and the other had short. Jude suspected they were anything but delicate and could probably tear him limb from limb.

"Good morning, Mr. Heartfelia," the long haired woman said cheerily.

Jude nodded in response and pointed to the door. "Is he in there?"

""Yes, would you like to go in?"

"Mira, are you sure that's a good idea?" the short-haired girl asked.

"Why not?" the tall, muscular fellow said. "Probably just wants to look the guy he's been sneaking around his daughter in the eye and tell him what's what like a man."

"I know that, but still-"

"I'm not a wizard," Jude assured them. "I'm not going to be able to undo that little charm your friend put on the cell."

"It's not you I'm worried about it," the short-haired girl explained, eyes worried.

"We'll be right here if anything happens," the long hair girl reminded her. "Besides, Freed spent all night on that barrier, I highly doubt he'll be able to get out."

"Well, okay," the short haired girl stood away from the door, allowing Jude to enter. Inside was a cage with a two bunks hanging from either side of it. Lying in one of thes bunks was a thing man dressed entirely in black with: black shirt, black pants, even black lipstick and black gages. Jude's eyes widened at the sight of him. There were two lines of dry blood caking either side of his mouth. His face was swollen and bruies almost as black as his clothing. There was a massive hole burnt into his shirt, and the skin revealed through it was charred to a crisp. He could also tell, even in the dim light of the holding room and through the dark clothing that both side of the man's chest and abdomen were swollen. Probably numerous broken ribs.

That boy? Lucy's pink-haired husband? He did all that?

Jude thought back to the one conversation he'd had with the young man:

"...just so you know, you do anything to hurt Lucy: you so much as say one ill word to her or harm one hair on her head, you'll have me to answer to. And you know what the last person who tried to mess with Lucy said...Nothing. 'Cuz he wasn't able to once I was done with him."

Jude watched as the sleeping intruder involuntarily winced with each breath he drew. Lucy's husband was not playing around! Jude felt himself grow a little uneasy. The boy had not exactly impressed him in the shor time he'd known him. He was more like a rambunctious child than a strong protective husband. Always talking about food, running here and there like his pants were on fire, picking fights with people he claimed to be his friends, reacting on impulse rather than sound though. It honestly made Jude question what his daughter saw in him. He was protective at least. The boy had made it very clear when they talked that anyone who threatened harm to Lucy was an enemy of his, father-in-law or not. At first Jude though nothing of it outside of more big talk from a young man who wanted to be feared and respected by everyone around him. Now seeing what he was actually capable of…

Jude shook his head as he found a place to sit in front of the 'd have to start taking the boy more seriously now. Jude pulled a wrapped up piece of sausage and began to eat it as he waited for the man in the cage to wake up.

Turns out he didn't have to wait long. Before he'd even finished half of his meal the intruder began stirring. He put his breakfast away and waited expectantly. The intruder grumbled and sat up slowly, clutching his aching sides, a grimace of pain on his face. Jude sat in silence as he waited for the man on the other side of the bars to notice him. It didn't take long. The man's beady eyes narrowed all the more once they landed on him.

"You're up," Jude said in as cheerfully a voice as he could manage.

"What do you want, Fairy scum?"

"Oh, I am not a member of this guild," Jude explained.

"So why are you here?" the intruder now seemed intrigued.

"I just have a few questions for you is all."

"Ah, a reporter!" the man hopped, rather nimbly considering his condition, and set his hands against the bars of the cage. Strange, purple incriptions lit up where his hands met the barrier. "For what scandalous tabloid might I ask? Magnolia Times? Sorceror's Weekly?"

"No, no. My curiosities with you are purely personal."

"Eh?" the intruder cocked his head to one side, confused.

"You were spying on a pregnant woman. Seems a bit suspicious, especially since an expectant mother hardly seems to be a threat to anyone. Perhaps it's not the mother your interest lies with, though?"

"Ah!" the intruder hissed. "So you too know of the child who will weild the Flames of Tartarus." He chuckled menacingly. "Well, good luck trying to get your hands on it! My superiors already have great plans for the dear little thing, and they won't let the likes of you get in their way."

"I don't plan on it," Jude answered plainly. "Yes, I know who this child will be capable of, but I have no interest in it."

"Oh? Then why come bother me?" the intruder began crawling (either because he was an insane creep or was too sore to walk) back to his bunk. "I could have gotten some more shut eye had you not been here-"

"The only reason I'm here is because my daughter is the one this child is growing inside of."

"Oooooohhhhhh!" the intruder jerked his head back around, beady eyes gleaming. "So it's the mother you're afraid for, is it?"

Jude stood up and walked closer to the cage, kneeling to the other man's level.

"Please," he begged in a soft voice. "She's the only family I have left. Without her I have nothing. Do what you want with the child, it will be a dangerous menace upon this world for all I know. It may be best if it's taken away from her. Just please, don't hurt Lucy!"

The intruder chuckled menacingly. "You shouldn't have told me that." he crawled, like a demon, back towards Jude. "There are few things that bring me greater joy than taking those things people love most and tearing them to shreds."

"Please, don't-" Jude pleaded.

"Y'know, originally the plan was to just kidnap the mother and hold her captive until the baby's born. But now that you've asked so nicely for her safety-"

"-don't hurt my daughter!"

"-why wait until the birth? I think I'll just wait until the child is big enough to survive and then I'll rip it out of her while she's still screaming!"

"No, don't!"

"Oh, I'll make sure you see it," the intruder leaned against the barrier over Jude. "Master Jose and Master Ivan have grown quite proficient in their Thought Projections, together they can broadcast the whole thing to you and that son-in-law of yours!"

"No!" Jude covered his ears. "Stop it! Please don't!"

"Oh, yes!" the intruder continued in a relishing voice as Jude continued shaking violently. "And then we'll make her scream more!"

"No, don't!"

"Master Jiemma will blast her with explosions, keep her screaming until she finally dies! And then we'll scatter what's left of her all over your pretty little hall! If there's anything left of it once me and your precious little girl are gone."

Jude suddenly stopped his shaking. He stood up, face calm, and brushed himself off.

"Thank you, that's all I needed to know."

"Wait, wut?" the intruder blinked.

The door suddenly busted open. Both of the men turned to find a very angry looking Natsu standing in the doorway.

"What do you think you're doing?" the dragon slayer asked, pointing a finger at Jude.

"Getting information," Jude said calmly. "Their plan is to kidnap Lucy now, not wait until the baby is born. They have someone coming to both accomplish that and to free this fellow right here," Jude gestured to the caged intruder, who took a step back and blinked rapidly.

"Wait, what?" the man in black sputtered.

"Also, I have reason to believe that the third figure your friend saw in her vision is a fellow by the name of Jiemma."

"Jiemma," Natsu hissed.

"You know him, I assume," Jude arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know him," Natsu's frown deepened. "I oughta have guessed he'd be in on this."

"I'd suggest worrying about that later. Right now it might be best to heighten security around this brute and get Lucy to somewhere safe and hidden," Jude began walking out of room. He was met outside the doorway by the three white haired people from before.

"That was genius!" the long-haired girl cheered.

"Tricked him like a man!"

"Who would have thought that Lucy's old man had that in him?"

"Well, I'm not a wizard, so I have to get things done by more, well, manipulative means," Jude shrugged, heading down the hall. He was about to turn a corner when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Don't think I didn't hear what you said," Natsu said in a warning voice.

Jude sighed and turned to the younger man. "Honestly, I figure out what their plan is and you want to criticize me."

"Look, I'm thankful for that, okay? I'll admit, that was pretty slick."

"Thank you."

"But I still don't appreciate the way you were talking about my baby."

"I had to make him think that I wasn't a threat to his plans."

"Really?" Natsu challenge. "Or did you let a little truth slip in there."

"What makes you-"

"Well, you haven't exactly been happy about the baby. In fact I'd say you're downright horrified with the idea."

Jude sighed. "If I didn't know what was going to happen once it's born I would be."

"And what's going to happen?" Natsu asked.

"You already know that!"

"No, I don't, and neither do you. We know she's going to be powerful. That's it."

"And it will have to learn to control those powerful abilities or they control it, thereby damaging who knows how much property or people. Oportunists and crooks will come crawling out of the woodworks to try and either manipulate or challenge it to prove their superiority. It will have a target painted on it's back for all eternity. The rules of magic as we know them may very well change-"

"Now you're just getting carried away."

"It's a possbility!"

"Yeah, so what?"

"You're not the least bit concerned about this!"

"Of course I am!" Natsu shouted. "But whatever happens I'll deal with it. I'm going to make sure my child has the best life possible and protect her from anything that will try to hurt her because that's what fathers do." Natsu turned to leave, but not before spewing:

"But you wouldn't understand that," over his shoulder.

Jude clenched his fists and glowered at him.

He really didn't like this boy.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Though the sun was now beginning to rise, it was still a bit shadowy outside as Erza stepped onto the lawn of the guild hall and stretched. Time for an early morning stroll, both to get her blood pumping and to check and make sure there was no one lurking about. She began with a brisk walk to round around the first corner, nothing there. She kept going along until she made it to the back, and then she spotted it.

A dark, hooded figure was seated on a log at the edge of the forest, legs crossed, face covered by a hood. Erza bolted up towards him, sword drawn.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? Speak up!" she demanded, sword pointed.

"Now is that anyway to welcome your husband home?" a warm, familiar voice said as the figure lowered his hood and lifted his face.

Erza dropped her sword. "Jellal?"

The man in question smiled as he stood up and held his arms open. Erza raced into them, burying her face into his chest as he kissed the top of her head.

"I missed you, Erza," he whispered.

"I missed you, too," Erza replied, reaching up to pull his face towards her so she could kiss his lips. "What are you doing home so early?"

"I have some news I need to give to the master."

"What news?" Erza asked, concerned.

Jellal's eyes darkened. "Bad news of a new, joint Dark Guild recruiting new members. And finding them. By the dozens."

"Let me guess, Raven Tail and Phantom Lord," Erza said.

"How'd you know?" Jellal asked.

Erza chuckled. "A lot's happened while you've been gone…"

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen:**

"I see," Jellal nodded once Erza had finished explaining. "Well, that does explain why the sudden push for recruitment we've seen out in the field."

"Do you think they are planning an attack?" Erza asked.

"I know they're planning an attack," Jellal answered. "I just wasn't sure of the target until now. Not for certain, at least."

"Not for certain?" Erza raised an eyebrow.

Jellal chuckled. "Fairy Tail doesn't exactly have a good track record for staying out of trouble. Nor do they have a shortage of enemies. I had a hunch your guild would somehow be involved."

"Well, your hunch was correct," Erza smiled.

Jellal shook his head. "You bunch of troublemakers."

"And yet you married one of us."

"And haven't regretted it for a moment," Jellal cupped her face in his hand. Erza smiled as she leaned into his touch.

"I really did miss you," he said, pushing her hair out of her face.

"And I you."

"I have been getting your letters," Jellal pulled a bundle of envelopes out of his coat pocket, causing Erza to gasp and smile. "I just was unable to reply because I was in a hurry to get back here."

"I understand," Erza assured him. "But if this matter is so pressing shouldn't you get inside and let the Master know?"

"I highly doubt he'll be awake this early. Besides I have an even more pressing matter to deal with."

"And what's that?" Erza asked, concerned.

Jellal smiled at her before snatching her into his arms and pressing a passionate kiss to her lips. Erza gasped, surprised stiff by his boldness, but soon gave in.

"This is more pressing than alerting the Master?" she chuckled once they parted.

"Absolutley," Jellal answered, tracing her face with his finger. "After all, hell hath no fury like an Erza scorned."

Erza laughed. "True, but I'll understand the delay in our alone time this once."

"Oh, really?" Jellal arched an eyebrow, unconvinced.

"I'm a reasonable person, Jellal," Erza rolled her eyes.

"That's questionable."

"Didn't you just say that hell hath no fury like a-"

"And didn't you say in one of those letters that you wanted a baby?" Jellal interrupted her, a strange look in his eyes.

Despite the fact that she was, well, Erza, she couldn't help the little squeak that escaped her throat. Jellal chuckled at her as she blushed almost as red as her head.

"Ah-I-uh-wha-and...what about that?" she finally stuttered.

"What about that? Well," Jellal drew her closer. "As you said, it would be difficult given both of our occupations. But…" he sighed. "If you think we can do it, and if it's something you really want, I'm open to at the very least talk about it."

"You're not convinced," Erza said in a slightly disappointed voice.

"I…" Jellal rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not sure how I'd be as a father. I...well, I've committed a lot of mistakes in my past. I'm not sure growing up with a father like me would be good for a child."

"When will you stop talking about yourself like that?" Erza sighed. "You're a different person now. You've atoned for your sins."

"I don't think I'll ever atone for them, Erza."

"But you're trying. That's all you can do, and you've gone above and beyond with it. You've offered redemeption to others who are in similar situations as you."

Jellal sighed and lowered his gaze.

"I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to," Erza assured him as she set her hand under his chin and raised his gaze to meet hers. "I just thought children would be nice is all."

"It would be nice," Jellal agreed. "I just...I just don't know…"

"Well, we don't have to decide today," Erza smiled as she brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Now come on, I'm sure there are a lot of people who would like to see you."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"They've been recruiting, you say?" Makarov strked his beard as he sat on the bar, Mirajane busy filling up drinks for all who had made their way to the main room of the Guild Hall: Jellal and Erza seated next to eachother in the table infront of the bar where Makarov, herself and Laxus were hanging about. Seated across from Jellal and Erza on the other side of the table were Gray, Juvia, and Natsu. Levy, Gajeel, Happy, Carla, and Wendy were all seated at the table next to theirs. Jude was seated by himself at a table anear the back, staring at his clasped hands, clearly lost in thought.

Lisanna and Elfman were still guarding the Black Snake. As it was still early in the morning Lucy was still asleep. No one was worried, though. Guildarts had headed over to Fairy Hills to have a father-daughter breakfast with Cana and had agreed to keep an eye out for any creeps who might want to get near Lucy. No one was sure where Pantherlily was, but seeing as it was getting very grey and cloudy outside it was liekly he was hiding somewhere the impending storm "couldn't get to him."

"That's certainly not good news," the old master continued as Mirajane handed him a mug. "Thank you, darling," he said to her as she began passing glasses out to everyone else.

"Definately sounds like they're gearing up for something big," Laxus agreed as he took his mug from his wife and stole a kiss on the cheek from her as she giggled.

"Hmph," Natsu huffed, arms crossed, glaring straight ahead, forcing Mira to leave his mug on the table next to him.

"If they're still in the recruiting and preparation stages though, we might be abel to get an attack in on them before they have a chance to stregnthen themselves," Gray suggested.

"Take the fight to them before they can bring it to us, I like it," Gajeel grinned. "So where are the creeps at?"

"Somewhere in the Waas Forest it seems," Jellal said. "Though where exactly I couldn't tell you."

"It could take days scouting through those woods before we found anything," Erza muttered.

"We're also not sure exactly how big their numbers are," Jellal continued. "Could be anywhere from 100 dark wizards to a few thousand of them."

"Still, at least we have a general idea as to where they are," Mirajane said as she made her way to the back where Jude was sitting. "And thanks to Mr. Heartfelia we know what their next move is going to be, try to kidnap Lucy."

She set a mug in front of Jude, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Oh, thank you," he began digging through his pockets. "How much."

"Don't worry, this one's on the house," Mirajane assured him as she began making her way back to the bar, leaving the old man pleasantly surprised.

"If that's the case we should hide Lucy somewhere safe," Jellal continued.

"Where, though?" Erza asked. "We caught one spy last night, but there could be more."

"Yes, that is true," Jellal nodded. "Wouldn't do any good to hide her if a spy is simply going to follow her and report back."

"So we'll just pound any spy we see," Natsu said.

"And what if you don't see them?" Gray asked. "That's kinda the point of a spy, they don't want you to know they are spying on them."

"We caught one last night!" Natsu reminded him.

"We got lucky last night," Gray insisted.

"Nu-uh, my dragon senses picked him up. Ain't nobody gonna sneak up on me!"

"But what if you're not there?" Gray asked. "Or any of the other dragon slayers? How would we spot them then?"

"Guess the rest of you gotta step up your game," Natsu answered.

"You saying we're not as good as you?" Gray leaned into Natsu's face, eyes narrow.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I-"

"Not now!" Erza reached across the table and whacked both of them on the back of the head.

"Sorry, ma'am," Natsu muttered.

"Ouch," Gray rubbed his sore head.

The room grew silent again as everyone stopped to think.

"Well, I hate to be the one to bring it up, but…" Natsu began. "Lucy said something last night about asking the other guilds for help."

"That might be wise," Erza said.

"Aw, I was hoping you'd say no!" Natsu groaned. "Now I'm gonna have to go along with it!

"If you didn't like it why didn't you tell her no?" Gray asked.

"You're married, you know what it's like," Natsu answered.

"Huh?" Gray arched an eyebrow.

"Oh, right, you're still a newly wed," Natsu rolled his eyes.

"So are you," Gray pointed out. "You two haven't even reached a year."

"You haven't even reached a month."

"It's not a competition!"

"Not now!" Erza whacked them on the head again.

"As much as I'd like to handle Dear Old Dad all by myself," Laxus spoke up, getting the converstaion back on track. "I think we might need a little help. We still gotta actually find where in the Waas Forest they're hiding, but we can't afford to send the whole guild out there. We need to keep some of us here incase they try to attack."

"Oh, we could ask the Blue Pegasus Guild!" Wendy suggested. "They've got the Christina. If we hide Lucy on board there then it will be really hard for Raven Lord, or Phantom Tail, or whatever they're called to find her because she'd constantly be on the move."

"Oh, good thinking, Wendy!" Carla cheered.

"Aye!" Happy cheered.

"Ugh, no way!" Natsu protested. "I am not getting on that death trap for days on end!"

"I said Lucy, not you," Wendy clarified.

"And you think I'm just going to leave her with those creeps?"

"We'd need you searching the woods with us," Erza said. "The Waas Forest is very big and very dangerous after all. We'd need as many S class wizards on the ground as possible, including you."

"So I'm just supposed to abandon my pregnant wife with a bunch a prissy, clingy, tools?" Natsu asked. "Ain't no way!"

"I'm sure we can find someone to stay with her," Jellal tried to comfort the dragon slayer, but to no avail.

"I'm her husband, though. I'm the one who's supposed to be staying with her!"

"You're also supposed to be the one protecting her and the baby," Mirajane said in a calm. "And the best way you can do that is by helping us take down Raven Lord, or Phantom Tail, whichever one."

Natsu glowered at the floor.

"It's not like you'd even survive very long on the Christina anyways," Happy pointed out.

"Shut up, Happy," Natsu grumbled, his brow furrowing deeper. He didn't want to leave Lucy in anyone else's hands. She was his wife, his responsibility. He was the one who made a promise the day they got married to protect and take care of her. Still, he couldn't watch over her and kick dark guild butt at the same time. And Happy was right. He'd be dead before the first 24 hours were up on board the Christina.

"I'll ask Lisanna and Elfman to stay with her," Mirajane suggested. "I know you trust Lisanna with your life, and Elfman is as disgusted with the Blue Pegasus boys as you are. I'm sure he wouldn't mind throttling them if they got too bold."

"Hmph. Fine," Natsu grumbled.

"I'll stay with her, too," everyone turned to find Jude standing up and walking towards them.

"Oh, no you don't," Natsu stood to meet him. "You're little party trick may have gotten us some good info, but I still don't trust you."

"Natsu!" Mirajane scolded.

"What?" he asked. "You all know as well as I do what he did to her!"

"That was years ago, Natsu," Gray said as he stood to face the dragon slayer.

"Him going on and on about how horrible our baby is going to be wasn't years ago!"

"I'm sure he was just in shock," Levy tried to defend Jude.

"That doesn't matter!"

"We all say things we don't mean when we're in shock, Natsu," Levy tried again.

"Oh, yeah, so how come he still calls the baby 'it' when we already know it's a 'her?'"

"That-"

"Nah, he's got a point there, Shrimp," Gajeel shook his head.

"See, even metal head agrees with me!"

"Natsu, stop," Erza scolded as she walked to Jude's side to speak to him. "As much as we appreciate your willingness to help, Mr. Heartfelia, it may be best for you to sit this one out. These are dangerous people we're dealing with. I'm not sure you'd be able to survive a confrontation with them."

"Well, I can't just sit back and do nothing," Jude insisted. "This is my daughter and grandchild we're talking about, I have to do something."

"Oh, finally decided to acknowledge the baby, did you?" Natsu called.

"That's quite enough out of you," Erza scolded the dragon slayer once more.

"He can go with me," Levy suggested. "If it's alright with the rest of you, I'd like to do some more research on the legend of Tartarus at the Magic Library. Once I'm done I'll meet up with you guys."

"Sounds fine to me," Makarov nodded. "If Mr. Heartfelia is up to it."

"I-" Jude looked about the room. All eyes were on him. He really wanted to be with Lucy. He wanted time to mend somethings. However, he clearly did not have this group's trust. And if he wanted to get to Lucy he'd have to go through him. He hung his head. "Very well, I'll accompany Ms. McGarden."

"Hey, now," Gajeel protested. "I'm not sure I trust him with my girl either."

"I beg you're pardon?" Jude asked.

"Don't play coy with me! I saw you shaking her like a ragdoll back at the manor because no one understood what you were blabbing on about," Gajeel said.

"Oh, I did do that, didn't I?" Jude said bashfully.

"Sure did, pal. And don't you forget it again."

"I can handle myself, Gajeel," Levy sighed.

"Yeah, but-"

"Sorry, Gajeel, but we'll need you with us," Jellal cut in. "After all you are S class too."

"What!?" the iron dragon slayer shouted.

"Now you know how I feel," Natsu grumbled.

"Look on the bright side, guys," Mirajane stepped in. "The more we have looking for this new dark guild, the sooner we'll find them, and the sooner this will all be over."

"Hopefully, at least," Makarov said.

"Hopefully?" Laxus asked.

"Though we know what their current plan is: kidnap Lucy and hold her prisoner until the baby is born, we don't know what they plan to do with the baby afterwards. I can't help but wonder what it is they have in mind…"

"It won't matter if they never get their hands on her," Laxus assured him.

"I supposed you're right, still…"

"Hm," Carla, who had been quiet for a long time now murmured.

"What is it, Carla?" Happy asked.

She didn't answer, though, her eyes were distant, lost in thought. Then they suddenly widened. Happy gapsed. He'd seen this look before.

"Carla?"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

 _She was standing in the middle of the guild hall. Everyone was crowded around a table in the middle. Carla spread her wings and flew over it. Seated at the head of the table were Natsu and Lucy, a tiny bundle of blankets in Lucy's arms as she sat with her head leaned against Natsu's shoulders. Carla beamed into a smile as a tiny hand reached out of the blankets and reached for her. She flew down and took it in her paw._

 _Suddenly the hand grew, and grew, until Carla was no longer looking at a newborn baby, but a young teenage girl smiling down at her. She had long, pink hair, sparkling brown eyes, a cheerful smile, and a dusting of freckles across her cheekbones. They were still in the guild hall. Everything looked the same. People happily chatting away, drinking, laughing. Everything was as it should be._

" _I'm going on my first job, Carla. I'll see when I get back," the girl said before standing and leaving, walking behind the white exceed._

 _Carla turned to say something else to her, then stopped._

 _She was no longer in the guild hall. She was standing in the middle of a road. Three men were ahead of her, running away-_

 _-yes. This was the vision she'd had the first time. Three men, covered in black cloaks with their new guild symbol on the back. The one in the middle had a satchel thrown over his shoulder. As Carla stared at the shoulder sack, and then she heard it._

 _A baby screaming. The same tiny hand she'd seen earlier reached out of it towards her._

" _Stop!" Carla screamed as she ran after the men. "Stop! Bring her back! You can't take her!"_

 _Carla tripped and fell face first into the ground. She pushed herself back up to keep running, and gasped._

 _The same teenage girl from before stood in front of her, only she was different now._

 _Her hair, before a rosy pink waterfall falling over her shoulder was now a sickly grayish color and chopped short near her scalp. He eyes no longer glistened with light, but instead were dull and empty. He face was sullen, as if it had never known the grace of a smile. The freckles no longer decorated her face, but rather scars and sores covered her entire body._

 _Everything around them was aflame. The smoke a soot staining the rags that served as the girl's clothing. She had a chain around her neck, and behind her stood the same three men, one of them holding her chain as and tugging on it as if she were a dog._

" _Let her go!" Carla demanded, standing to her feet. It was only then she realized where she was. The Guild Hall. Everything was burning. All around her laid bodies: Wendy, Gajeel, Levy, Gray, Juvia, Happy, Pantherlily, even-_

 _Carla held a paw to her mouth._

 _Even Natsu and Lucy. They both laid dead at the girls feet, tears running down their lifeless faces._

" _What did you do?" Carla screeched._

 _The girls just stared at her._

" _Those were your parents! What did you do?" Carla asked again._

 _The girl just stared, barely even blinking. There was nothing behind those brown eyes. Just empty nothingness._

" _Let's go," one of the men said, tugging on her chaing once more._

" _You monsters!" Carla shrieked. "What did you make her do!?"_

" _Let's go!"_

 _The girl still didn't move._

" _What are you looking at, brat?" he asked._

 _The girl lifted a thin, grayish hand and pointed at Carla. One of the other two men not holding her chain walked forward to check it out._

" _Ah, just one of Fairy Tail's cats," he said._

" _You know what to do, girl," the first man holding the chain said._

 _The girl held out her hand. A black and red flame burst out of it, twisting and contorting until it had formed a burning scythe in her hand. She lifted it above her head, eyes and face emotionless._

" _Child, please, don't!" Carla screeched, holding up her hands. "I'm a friend! Let me help you! I want to help you!"_

 _The girl brough the scythe down ontop of her._

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Carla screamed, clutching both paws to her mouth.

"Carla!" Happy raced to her, setting both paws on her shoulders. "Carla, what's wrong, did you see something?"

"I...I...I…" Carla stuttered, shaking, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Carla, are you okay?" Wendy asked.

Carla just shook her head, staring straight ahead, trembling as tears fell.

"Oh, Carla," Happy said as he wiped the tears away. "You can tell us. What did you see?"

"Carla?" Natsu asked as he raced to the exceed's side. "Hey, you okay?"

Slowly, everyone gathered around her, asking her if she was alright. If she had seen something. If everythign was okay.

"It was horrible…" she finally choked out. "What they'll do to her, with her. It's horrible. We can't...we can't let it happen."

"Do to her? Who? Lucy? The baby?" Natsu asked. "You saw something about the baby didn't you? Is she going to be okay? What will-"

"If we can keep her with us she'll be fine. We all will." Carla whispered. "But if they...if they get to her…" she shuddered again, tears pooling in her eyes once more.

"If they get to her, what?" Natsu questioned frantically. "What will they do? Carla, talk to me!"

"Just give her a minute," Happy scolded. "Can't you see it's bothering her?"

Carla placed a paw against her motuh again, as she shook her head. "They'll raise her to be a weapon. They'll chain her like a dog and force her to kill us all."

Silence fell over the group with a heaviness the weight of a boulder.

"And she won't even know," Carla continued, sobs shaking her tiny body. "That's was the worst part. She didn't know who we were. I told her I wanted to help her! I tried to help her! But she wouldn't even talk to me! I don't even know if she could talk!"

"Hey," Happy pulled her into a hug. "It's okay. Now that you told us there's no way we'll let it happen. You did good Carla."

No one else said a word. The only noise to break the silence was Carla's shuddering cries.

"So that's your plan," Makarov finally growled. "To use two of my children's daughter to murder us all, knowing we would never fight back against her."

Everyone slowly turned to face the older man. His eyes were all burning almost as fiercely as one of Natsu's flames.

"Ivan, you've gone too far," Makarov hissed.

 _Boom!_

Before anyone even knew he'd left Natsu busted out of the guild hall doors and raced off.

"Natsu!" Gray called after him, but he was gone.

"Better go make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," Gajeel said as he took off.

"I'll go with him," Laxus said, following the other two dragon slayers.

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen:**

"Natsu!" Laxus yelled as he and Gajeel chased after the fire wizard.

"Salamander, where do you think you're going?" Gajeel shouted, just a few paces in front of Laxus.

Natsu didn't respond or stop, though. He kept running. Where, he didn't know, and he didn't really care. All he was trying to get to them before they could touch his baby. Before they could take her away from them. Before they ripped away her chance-

-her _right_ to be a part of a family.

"Oof!" a sharp pain hit the back of his head and he toppled over.

"I said stop him, not kill him!" Laxus shouted somewhere in the distance.

"I'm an iron dragon slayer, what do you want from me?" Gajeel's much closer voice answered as Natsu rolled over to find said iron dragon slayer leaning over him, one hand still a metal pole as the other grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.

"C'mon you idiot," he said as he lifted Natsu up off his feet.

"Lemmee go!" Natsu shouted, kicking wildly as he beat against the taller man's fist.

"Go? Go where?" Gajeel scoffed.

"To get 'em!" Natsu answered, now swinging and Gajeel's face, though it was no use. Gajeel was familiar with the fire wizard's ways and was holding him out a safe distance away from his face.

"We don't know where they are, stupid! How you gonna get 'em if you can't find 'em?" he asked.

"I'll sniff them out!" Natsu answered.

"We ain't even at the Waas Forest yet!"

"So what? I can smell 'em from here!"

"No you can't."

"Sure I can! I'm a dragon slayer!"

"So am I, pal. That's how I know you can't."

"You're just a wimp!"

"Say what, now?"

He didn't have time for this. There was someone, more than someone out there who was trying to take his baby girl from him. They wanted to chain her like a dog trained to kill on order. He couldn't let that happen. He had to find them and end them. Every last one of them! He knew how these people were. His baby would not be safe until every last one of them were dead in the ground! But obviously Gajeel didn't get that!

"Would you let me go already? I gotta find 'em!"

"And running all across town like a chicken with your head cut out is going to help you do that how?" Laxus asked as he caught up to the other two.

Oh, great! He was here to stop him too? Natsu gritted his teeth, feeling the tingling heat of fire creeping up his limbs. If they weren't going to help him, then he'd just have to push them out of his way!

"Just let me go! I gotta find 'em and kill 'em!" Natsu finally kicked Gajeel in the chest, sending out a burst of fire that effectively pushed the taller man off him. He dropped to his feet and began to run off again, only to be zapped in the neck by a bolt of lightning.

"AUGH!" he screamed, eyes wide with shock and rage. "Wha-wha-what th-th-the cra-cra-crap, La-La-Laxus!" He stuttered between convulsions before toppling over.

"And you told me not to kill him?" Gajeel asked, bewildered.

"Relax, that wasn't enough to seriously hurt him," Laxus replied.

"Looked like it seriously hurt to me," Gajeel retorted.

"He might be sore for a while, but he'll recover quickly, probably be back on his feet them minute he wakes up."

"And how long's a while?" Gajeel asked as Laxus tossed the unconcious Natsu over his shoulder.

"Long enough for us to get him back to the Guild Hall."

"Hmph," Gajeel scoffed. "Still think we could have taken him without deep frying him."

"You're the one who clobbered him on the back of the head with an iron attack."

"And he was able to walk it off, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, and kick the air out of you five minutes later," Laxus reminded him as the Guild Hall came back into view. "Now he can't fight back."

"Kinda not fair, isn't it?"

"We're not here for fair, we're here to keep him from killing himself."

"Alright, you got me there," Gajeel crossed his arms as he spotted a lone figure running towards them. "Ah, now what does this creep want now?"

Jude stopped to catch his breath as he reached the two concious, and one unconcious dragon slayers.

"Is he alright?" he asked.

"Why do you care?" Gajeel asked, earning him a swat on the back of the head by Laxus. "Watch it, Flashy!"

"He's my daughter's husband."

"So?"

"Well, what father would want their daughter to be a young widow?"

Natsu muttered something inaudible in his sleep, before he groggily stated: "I won't let them...ergh…"

"I don't think you have to worry about that," Laxus assured the older man with a pat on the shoulder as he carried Natsu inside. "If there's one thing Natsu's good at, it's NOT dying."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Lemmee go!" Natsu shouted as he jolted straight up into a sitting position, fists ready to punch Laxus and Gajeel's lights out so he could get on with his mission. "Get out of my way!"

"Natsu?" a soft voice called.

Natsu turned to find Lucy sitting next to him reaching a hand to rest on his shoulder.

"Lucy!"

Just the sight of her calmed him. He took her hand off his shoulder and pressed it to his lips, gently kissing her guild mark. His other hand wandered its way across the blankets and to her stomach. She smiled and placed her palm against his.

"She's fine," she assured him.

Natsu let out a small sigh, moving Lucy's hand from his mouth to press her palm against his cheek. He closed his eyes as he let himself just enjoy being close to her. For the moment, at least, his girls were okay. He then began to look around to see where in the heck he was. He was lying, well now sitting, in their bed back at the appartment, dressed in his pajamas, which were nothing more than a pair of oversized sweat pants and his ever prsent scarf. Lucy was sitting on the mattress next to him, already dressed in her regular miniskirt and a collared, long-sleeve shirt whose buttons were all closed. A bit odd seeing as it was warm out. She must have been trying to hide the...ahem...love marks he'd left on her last night. He smirked slightle as he looked about the room. There was no one else there. It was noon by the look of the sunlight streaming in.

Wasn't it just early morning. And wasn't he just...

"Wha-how did I get here?" he asked.

"Laxus and Gajeel brought you here after they stopped you from running all over town like a maniac," Lucy answered in an annoyed voice.

"Oh," Natsu answered before releasing her and awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"They figured no one would try to attack us in open daylight so they sent us home for a little while," Lucy continued explaining, crossing her arms at him, clearly frustrated. "I thought it best to just let you sleep since you have not been doing a lot of that lately."

"Thanks, Love, but I'm-" Natsu winced as a felt a jolt of pain just above his shoulder. "Ouch! What the heck did those two do to me?"

"Laxus may have zapped you to knock you out so you'd stop fighting them," Lucy answered.

"Aw, c'mon," Natsu whined as he stood and walked to the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror.

"And Gajeel hit you in the back with an iron fist," Lucy added as she wandered to stand in the bathroom doorway, watching as Natsu grumbled under his breath, removing his scarf to examine his throbbing were no burns, bruises, or any marks besides the scar that had been on his neck for years now. Well that and the...um...love marks Lucy had left on him the night before. Still, he could definately feel the after affects of his friends rather violent attempts to subdue him.

"Trying to give me another scar on my neck, are ya Laxus?" he muttered as he began rubbing the welt Gajeel left him. Good grief, were they trying to kill him! As if he didn't have enough to deal with.

Lucy sighed. This was more than just pure annoyance on his part. He was angry. Not at Laxus and Gajeel per say, they were just low hanging fruit for him to take his rage out on at the moment. He was furious at the whole situation, and the fact that he was currently powerless to do anything about it wasn't helping. At his core Natsu was a fighter. Having to simply stand by and wait was driving him nuts.

No.

It was killing him. Though Erza was unopposed in her position as the protector of their group Natsu came in a close second. walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest.

"Luc-"

He gasped when he felt her lips close around his neck, just over his scar. Any tension he was still carrying melted away as she effectively sucked the pain away and replaced it with pleasure.

"Lu-ah! Luce, don't you think you've-Mm. M-marked me up enough?"

"You complaining?" Lucy asked in a breathy voice.

"Nope!"

She chuckled as she leaned her forehead against the back of his neck and began scratching and massaging his back, causing him to moan softly as he leaned against bathroom counter, arching his back to make it easier for her to carve her nails against his spine or work out any knots her may have been carrying in his muscles. Lucy smiled as his eyelids fluttered close and his jaw fell over so slightly lack. It was good to finally see him relax a little bit.

The moment was not to last for very long. After a few minutes of blissful silence he sighed deeply and asked:

"Did they tell you?"

Lucy bit her lip. He finally opened his eyes and turned to look at her. She slowly nodded. He squeezed his eyes back closed and turned away from her, all his tension immediateyl returning.

"Natsu…"

Lucy's voice caught in her throat as she watched his grip on the bathroom counter tighten, his veins popping out of his arms as he hung his head, breaths ragged.

"They…" she forced herself to speak. "They've contacted some of the other guilds while you were out."

"Which ones?" he asked, voice heavy with anger, frustration, maybe even shame.

Lucy swallowed before answering. "Lamia Scale, Sabertooth, and Blue Pegasus."

Natsu nodded without lifting his head, but he didn't speak.

Lucy hugged herself, her arms almost instinctivly winding themselves around her belly as she spoke again.

"We've only heard back from Blue Pegasus so far. Hibiki sent a mental message using his archive. They said they'd be happy to hide me on the Christina until-

 _Bang!_

Natsu slammed a fist onto the bathroom counter, cracking one of the tiles. Lucy jumped, tightening her arms around his stomach as he started storming out of the bathroom. He stopped in the doorway, though, and all but collapsed against the frame. Leaning one of his forearms against the wood and burying his face against it. His other hand clenched onto the frame, causing his veins to pop out of his arm again. He was shaking.

"Na…" Lucy took a tentative step towards him, then stopped. "...Natsu?"

He took a deep breath. "Sorry," he muttered. "I just...nevermind."

He turned away from her and walked out. Lucy stared after him as he wandered into the livingroom and collapsed onto the couch.

Natsu ran his fingers through his hair as he squeezed his eyes shut. No matter what he did, he couldn't get Carla's voice out of his head.

" _They'll raise her to be a weapon. They'll chain her like a dog and force her to kill us all…"_

He tugged at his hair as the premonition echoed in his mind.

"... _And she won't even know. That was the worst part. She didn't know who we were. I told her I wanted to help her! I tried to help her! But she wouldn't even talk to me! I don't even know if she could talk!"_

Couldn't even talk?

Wouldn't even know who they were?

Just kill on order. That's all she'd know how to do. His daughter!

 _His baby girl!_

That's who Carla had been talking about. Forget that they were going to try and take her away from him. As much as he hated that it didn't hurt nearly as much as the idea of his precious child growing up not knowing what it was like to be loved. To be in a family. That…

He couldn't let that happen. But what could he do? He wouldn't even be able to guard her mother while they hunted down the men wanting to abuse her. He'd have to leave them both, his baby girl and his beautiful Lucy in the hands of someone else. He'd have to trust Ichiya, Hibiki, Ren, and Eve to protect them while he hiked through who knew how many acres of woods looking for some sign, hint, anything he could use to track these monsters down.

He felt the couch shift and opened his eyes to find Lucy sitting next to him, eyes full of worry. He sighed as he sat up and pushed her hair out of her face.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I'm just...I'll be okay. I'm just...just…"

"I know," Lucy caressed his cheek. His eyelids fluttered closed as he leaned into her touch. It was amazing how little she had to do to get him to relax.

"I've got something to show you," Lucy whispered in a happy voice.

"Hm?" Natsu opened his eyes, curious. Lucy smiled as she pulled her shirt up just enough to reveal a small bump. It was tiny. Barely noticeable to anyone who wasn't as famiiar with Lucy's body as he was. Anyone else would have simply thought she'd had a few too many deserts recently. He knew better, though.

"W...wow," he gasped as he reached out and pressed his hand against it. "She's really growing, isn't she?"

"Mm-hmm," Lucy nodded. "And she's going to keep growing from here on out."

Natsu broke into a smile as he leaned down, pressing his ear against the bump. The now familiar sound of the baby's heart beat rang in his ears. He inhaled deeply, then noticed something. A scent. One he'd never smelled before. His lips curled up into a wider smile when he realized it was the baby's scent. He nuzzled his face even closer against Lucy's stomach and wrapped her arms around his chest.

Though he kept his smile, his brows furrowed slightly. Not in anger, though, but determination. So what if he had to be away from his girls for a little while? If that's what it was going to take to keep his daughter safe, to keep her from the horrible fate Carla had predicted, then so be it.

He tightened his arms around Lucy as he whispered:

"It's going to be okay, baby girl. Daddy's gonna protect you. I promise."

 _ **Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)**_

 _ **God Bless!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen:**

Wendy skipped down the hall, humming to herself as she headed towards Natsu and Lucy's-well-her room, that Natsu and Lucy were borrowing once again for the night, just to be safe. She carried a letter in her hand, intending on showing it to the couple. She was stopped at the door, though, by Levy.

"Where you heading, Wendy?"

"Inside. Sheria wrote me back. Lamia Scale has agreed to help us out, I want to tell Lucy and Natsu."

"Maybe give them some space," Levy suggested. "After all, it's late, they're probably asleep."

"Oh, I guess that's true," Wendy shuffled uncomfortably, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Here," Levy held out her hand for the letter. "I'll just slip it under the door with these other two letters I've gotten from Blue Pegasus and Sabertooth. They can read them when they wake up in the morning."

"Okay!"

Little did either of the girls know was that one of the couple members was still awake. Natsu was seated under the window where he'd seen the Black Snake the night before. Though he had his head leaned back, looking out the window, he could still here the two blue-heads talking outside. He waited until heheard them walk away fromt he door, then stood up and walked to the small stack of papers slid under the door.

 _Dear Wendy,_

 _Of course I'd be happy to help! It's what loving friends would do! And just a decent person, in general. After all, that baby deserves a chance at love too! I've asked around the guild. Lyon, Yuka, and Toby are in between jobs right now so they'll be coming along as well._

 _I told Master Ooba about the Dark Guilds joining up. She said she'll have to stay at the guild to make sure Lamia Scale doesn't get attacked, but said to let everyone know if we find them to save a few for her. She wants to spin them until their grandchildren are dizzy._

 _We'll catch the first train to Magnolia tomorrow morning. We should get there some time after lunch._

 _See you soon!_

 _Besties!_

 _With much love,_

 _Sherria._

 _Dear Fairy Tail,_

 _Thank you for letting us know about this threat. Unfortunately I can't give you any information. We haven't heard from out former master in years. With that said, I'm afraid I can't join you in your search. There's a chance Jiemma mighthave it out for us too, and if that's the case I need to be here to protect my guild. Rest assured, though, I'm sending the best and strongest we've got your way. Rogue, Yukino, Orba, and Rufus are buying tickets for a wagon to Magnolia as I write this. They should be there by tomorrow afternoon._

 _Good luck,_

 _Sincerely_

 _Sting Eucliffe_

 _Dear Makkie,_

 _I'm so sorry to here about those wretched criminals coming for the little one. Rest assured Blue Pegasus will do everything in its power to protect your Fairy Tail younglings and to put an end to whatever these ruffians are planning. I know Hibiki has already contacted you, but I wanted to give you the full details on our plan. We've recently refurbished all the old models of the Christian, which means we have five different Christinas (you can rant about how jealous you are later.) But, as we haven't really given the old ones a test run, you've come to us at an opportune moment. This is just the thing we've been needing._

 _Here's the plan: Each of the Trimens will take one of the Christinas, each with their own "Lucy." I guess now is a good time to let you know that our latest model has a cloaking device. Just a little something your's truly came up with while playing around with some illusion magic. Aren't I impressive! We'll put the real Lucy and Ren on this Christina. I think his darling wife Sherry will be going with them too._

 _Each of the other Christina's will then be driven by either Nichiya, Ichiya, Hibiki, or Eve and will have a decoy Lucy on board it to confuse the enemy. We have our darling Jenny we can put up as one of the decoys. I'm afraid you'll have to come up with the other three. The four decoy Christina's will assist you in your search from the air. The Christina with the real Lucy will have to hide somewhere else, I'm afraid. For safey purposes, you understand. I'm thinking over Hakobe Mountain. It's removed enoguh from society that no one will go looking there, but close enough to Waas forest that Ren can swoop in to save you in the case of an emergency._

 _I'll have my younglings meet you at the base of Hakobe mountain. They should be there waiting some time tomorrow._

 _Best of luck to you, Makkie old boy!_

 _With Love,_

 _Bob_

"Hmph." Natsu sighed. So Ren was going to be the one with Lucy. Well, that made him feel a tiny but better. Of the five Trimens Ren was the least...pervy. And the fact that he was married and would possibly have his wife with him also eased his nerves. It's not that he thought anyone of the Trimen would force antyhign on Lucy, but the thought of them hitting on her like they did every woman they saw made his stomach churn. Sure, it was funny to watch, but that was because he was right there to intervene if things went too far. That would not be the case here.

He set the letters aside and leaned his back against the wall. That was Ren, Elfman, Lisanna, and maybe Sherry that would go with Lucy. All were capable wizards and fighters. She should be fine. He knew that, in his head, but in his gut he still had a feeling that it wasn't enough. And in his heart? Well, he wasn't going to go there. Not tonight, at least.

He turned and looked at Lucy. She was sound asleep, lying on her side, one arm tucked under her head, the other resting over her stomach. He keys were lying on the table next to her. Natsu stared at them.

What he was thinking was probably stupid, but stupid ideas were kind of his forte. Besides, they always worked out in the end…

...usually.

He walked over and picked the keys up. He fiddled witht hem for a while. How did these things work? It wouldn't matter. He wasn't a Celestial Wizard. He held the key chain out in front of his face and sighed.

"I know this isn't how it's supposed to work," he muttered. "You're only supposed to answer to the wizard you're contraced with. But this is to protect her, so you can make an exception, right? Seriously, if any of you guys can hear me, please. I need help. Lucy needs help. I have to go find these guys threatening us, but to do that I have to leave her. If even just one of you guys could, I don't know, stay with her. Keep an eye on her. But on your own power so she doesn't have to strain herself? I know that might be too much to ask, but-"

"Noooo. Nothing is too Mooch for our pretty little Lucy!"

"Aw, I didn't mean you!" Natsu exclaimed as he turned to find Taurus standing behind him.

"Aw, c'mon," the cow spirit huffed. "I made a vow to protect Lucy and all of her sMooth curves!"

 _Bonk!_

Taurus flew into the ceiling as Natsu kicked him in the jaw.

"How many times I gotta tell you to stop talking about my wife's curves!"

"Ergh," Taurus' eyes rolled around in his head as he tried to get his bearings back.

"Seriously, why'd you of all the spirits have to answer!" Natsu continued fuming.

"I don't see why you're so over eMootional, tonight. I've been taking care of Miss Lucy since long before you showed up. I can protect her from anything that tries to harm her."

"As true as that may I still don't like the way you talk about her," Natsu answered. "Now, can I get another spirit, any other spirit!"

"Plue!"

"Aw, c'mon," Natsu grumbled as he turned to find the little white creature standing behind him.

"Plue," the small spirit hung his head in embarrassment.

"No, no, no, I didn't mean it like that!" Natsu waved his hands wildly. "You just...um...were not who I was expecting?"

"Plue," Plue hung his head and moped over to the bed climbing in next to Lucy.

"Well, at least you can comfort her, which is more than this creep can-"

"Oooh, I'd love to-"

"Try it and I'll turn you into a burger!"

"Perhaps I could be of service."

"Virgo!" Natsu ran up to the maid. "Finally, someone useful! You can stay with Lucy on the Christina, can't you?"

"I'd be happy to, Prince."

"Prince?" Natsu took a step back. It was cute when Lucy called him that, but he wasn't sure he liked hearing it come out of Virgo's mouth…

"Unfortunately, I won't be able to use my digging magic while on an airship."

"Oh, I didn't think of that," Natsu scratched the back of his head.

"I'm sorry. Would you like to punish me?"

"Um...no thanks," Natsu answered awkwardly. "So, anyone else want to volunteer? Hello? Can you guys still hear me?"

"My offer still stand. I would Mooch appreciate it if you'd reconsider."

"How about I consider turning you into a grilled steak platter! Seriously, I'll take just about anyone over the cow!"

"Oh...well, I guess I could try," a timid voice called.

"Aries! Yes!" Natsu raced to her.

"Oh, um, what do you want me to do?" the ram spirit shifted uncomfortably.

"Just stay with Lucy and keep an eye on her. Just, take care of her, okay? I don't think any of the others are going to know what to do with a pregnant woman. And if anything happens protect her, get her to safety, and then come find me and tell me what happened."

"Oh, well, I could try. But I don't know if I could…"

"Aw, sure you can. You'll be great!"

"Thank you, but I...I just don't know. I mean, that's a big responisbility. I just don't know if I'm cut out for it!" she began trembling and looking like she was on the brink of tears.

"No, no, no! Please don't cry! Look, if you don't wanna I won't make you. I can't do that anyways, I'm not contracted to you. I'm just asking a favor, is all. If you can't do it it's fine."

"Okay, sorry," and with that Aries disappeared.

"Ugh! Seriously, how does Lucy handle you guys on a regular basis?"

"I think it's obvious who the Moost qualified for the job is-"

"Grilled ribs with honey steak sauce and a side of fries!" Natsu growled. "Anyone else!?"

In a flash almost all of Lucy spirits showed up at once, all talking to him at once.

"I said anyone not everyone!" Natsu shouted, overwhelmed by the flurry of words being thrown at him.

"I'll take the job, baby."

"Don't call me that."

"This will be WIIICKED!"

"Pregnant lady, bug boy! Don't need that!"

"I don't even know why I'm here."

"Then why'd you show up fish face!"

"Piddy-piddy."

"Piddy-piddy, and?"

"Pixis!"

"Where are you even pointing!?"

"We'll take it from here," a very welcomed and familiar voice called as Loke and Capricorn appeared in front of Natsu.

"Aw!" a chorus of whines erupted from the crowd of spirits.

"Nat-Natsu?"

Natsu felt the hairs on the back of his head stand up as he turned to find Lucy starting to wake up.

"Oh, crap! Get out of here before you get me in trouble!"

"But you said you wanted us-" Aquarius began to protest.

Loke raised his hand and snapped, sending all the spirits but himself, Capricorn, and Plue away.

"I meant you guys, too!" Natsu hissed under his breath.

"Capricorn? Loke? Plue? What are you guys doing here?"

"Lady Lucy," Capricorn bowed. "We're here to discuss your safety."

Lucy sighed, glowering as she hugged Plue to her chest. "I'm fine. Please. I don't need everyone worrying about me."

"I understand your frustration, but at least listen to what we have to say," Capricorn continued. Lucy still didn't look happy, but she listened.

"While you are aboard the Christina it will be important for you to take care of yourself so that your child has all the nourishment and calm it needs to thrive," Capricorn explained. "As I assisted your mother while she was pregnant with you, I feel that I am best suited to fulfill this task in your husband's stead."

Natsu had to bite his tongue at those words. He should be the one taking care of her, but he knew he had to go.

"Furthermore, while you will no doubt have many skilled wizards around you, we feel it best to have a retreat plan in place should a worst case scenario come about."

"Worst case scenario?" Lucy asked.

"Christina's attacked, goes up in smoke, and all your wizard friends fail you," Loke explained. "If that's the case our plan is to have one of us throw some celestial garments on you and take you into our world while the other one goes to Natsu and tells him what's happened. Then whoever's with Natsu will help him get to a safe place where we'll drop you off at once he gets there."

"What about the baby?" Lucy asked. "Time works differently in the Celestial World, what would it do to her?"

"Well," Loke readjusted his glasses. "Depending on how long you were there it would speed your pregnancy up. That's why this plan is for last resort and last resort only."

"Even if we would have to enact this plan we'd be sure to not keep you longer than a day."

"That's still be three months," Lucy said as she placed a hand on her stomach. "I'm already 3 months along. That would put me at six in a instant!"

"It shouldn't have any lasting affects on the baby, though."

"Yeah, but what's it going to do to me?" Lucy asked. "Stretching my belly out over months is going to suck as is, in one day!?"

"That...would hurt," Loke agreed. "But, again, this is only as a last resort. It probably won't even happen. The plan is simply to have Capricorn look after you and have me on standby incase something happens."

Lucy sighed and turned to Natsu. "And I assume you're partially responsible for this plan."

"Well…"

"I've told you, I'm fine!"

"Lucy, it's not that."

"Then what is it?" Lucy asked. "I'm still just as powerful and capable as I was before, I don't need you all to trip over yourselves trying to protect me."

"It's not you, it's-"

"I know, I know. It's the baby. But don't you think I'm capable of protecting her too?"

"Of course I am, I just-"

"Just what, Natsu? What has got you so wound up that all of a sudden you've got it in your head that I can't take care of myself or this baby?"

"I don't think that."

"Well, you sure are acting like you-"

"I just-"

"Just what? What has gotten into you? Why are you doubting me?"

"I'm not doubting you!"

"Then why don't you trust me to be careful and look out for myself."

"I do!"

"Then why bother all my spirits trying to form a celestial body guard force."

"Wha-"

"Did you seriously expect me to sleep through all that!?"

"Well…"

"Bad enough you don't trust me anymore, but then to go behind my back with my own spirits is."

"I'm trying to protect you, Lucy!"

"And sticking me in a tin can in the sky away from civilization with the animal girl and the wannabe man of all men is what exactly?"

"That's not-"

"Not what? Not good enough?"

"Yes. No. I mean-" Natsu tugged at his hair.

"You should be focusing on finding these monsters trying to steal our daughter, not smothering me!"

"I know that!"

"Then why are you-"

"I'm just trying to cover all my bases."

"Cover them? You've buried them! You do much more you'll bury me! What are you hoping to accomplish by throwing a fit everytime somone suggests a plan, riding my dad's tail about everything, running around town like a maniac, and talking to my spirits behind my back. Have you just lost all faith in everything and everyone?"

"No."

"Then what-"

"I'm scared!"

Lucy took a step back. Natsu admitting he was scared? That wasn't like him. Sure he got scared, but he never let it show. He was always the one comforting and encouraging others not to lose hope in times of stress, not the one giving into the chaos around him.

Natsu just stared at her, eyes blaring.

"Is that what you want to hear, Luce? Then fine! I'm scared! Okay? Someone is out there wanting to steal my wife and my baby away from me and in order to stop them, what do I have to do? I have to leave my family behind in a giant flying plushie while I go hunting in the woods for a group of monsters who could be watching and hearing everything we say and do right now, and will turn around and attack said flying plushie the minute I'm gone. And if that happens, guess what? I'll be miles away. I won't be able to stop it!"

Lucy just stared at him as he stopped to catch his breath. His frustration began to melt away and reveal a look of pain underneath it.

"I'm terrified, Luce," he all but whispered.

She reached up and set a hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, clasping his hand around hers, clinging to it like he'd fall apart the minute he let go.

"You're my life," he continued. "My world. My girls...if I lose you two I don't know wha-"

"But you won't," Lucy set both hands on his face and forced him to look at her. "You'll stop them. I know you will. I believe in you. Always have, always will."

"So...ahem," Loke awakwardly called from where he and Capricorn were still standing. "We'll, um, just let you two talk it out. Erm...Lucy, just let us know what you decide tomorrow."

And with that they disappeared.

"I'm sorry," Lucy whispered once they were gone. "You're just looking out for me. I know. I'm just…"

She hung her head. Natsu shook his head.

"No, I was-"

"She's my daughter too," Lucy cut him off. "I want to save her just as much as you do. But I can't. Because if I go out there and put myself in danger I'll put her in danger too. So I have to hide behind the sidelines and watch while all of you go off after them, knowing there's nothing I can do to help. I just...feel useless."

"You're not, though," Natsu assured her as he brushed her hair out of her face. "You've probably got the hardest job of any of us. You're the last line of defense."

"It doesnt' feel like it."

"But it's true. Lucy you are strong. You are. No one in their right mind would question that. That's why I do trust you to keep her safe. But I can't…" he swallowed to keep his voice from cracking. "But I can't take any chances. You're the most precious thing in my life. I have to do everything I can to make sure you're protected even if I can't be there with you."

"I know," Lucy assured him.

"This will all be over soon," he promised her. "We'll get rid of them. For good. And then life will go back to the way it's supposed to be."

Lucy sighed. "Will it though?"

"What do you mean?"

"This might take care of Raven Lord, or Phantom Tail, or whoever, but what then?"

She placed a hand over her belly.

"If the prophecy's right then she's going to have a power no one has seen in over a thousand years. She'll attract all kinds of negative and maybe even dangerous attention her whole life. Even after Ivan, Jose, and Jiemma are gone, it will just be a matter of time before someone else tries to come after her. To use her for their purposes. Or worse...to get rid of her...because they're afraid of her…"

A tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

"Hey," Natsu said as he wiped it away.

"It's not fair!" Lucy cried. "She didn't ask for this! She didn't ask to be born into this mess! She shouldn't have to be burdened with this!"

"Lucy," Natsu pulled her into a hug.

"I didn't want her to be like us!" she cried. "To have pre-destined fates, to have to fix the sins of the past. I wanted her to have better than that!"

"I know," Natsu answered. "I did too."

"Natsu...what are we going to do?" she sniffled.

"We're going to have a baby," he answered in a firm voice. "We're going to have a baby girl. We're going to raise her to be the best she can be. We're going to watch her grow up, and teach her how to do things like tied her shoes, or play games. When she's old enough we'll bring her to join the guild, and then we'll start taking her on jobs with us, then she'll start doing them on her own. Someday she'll get powerful enough to become S class, and we'll be cheering her on through the trials, no matter how many times she goes through it. She may even play in the Grand Magic Games and kick everyone's butt."

Lucy chuckled a bit, despite herself.

"And whatever dangers come up we'll face them head on like we always do, because we're a family. Always have been, always will be. Nothing will change that."

Lucy sniffled but nodded as she buried her face into his chest. He gently stroked her head and kissed the top of her head. At some point they ended up back on the bed, still holding each other. They fell asleep like that until the next morning when Gray came in to wake them up.

"Guys?"

Lucy and Natsu stirred from the bed to find the ice wizard standing over them.

"Time to go," he said before leaving.

Natsu sighed. This was the day he'd been dreading for what seemed like an eternity, though it had only been a day. He sat up, Lucy following suit. They stared at each other for a moment, neither wanting to move knowing what that movement would mean. That they'd have to go.

Finally they leaned in a kissed each other.

"It will be over soon," Lucy reminded Natsu.

"Yeah," he nodded as he stood up to get dressed. "Soon."

 ** _Didn't mean for this to be so_** ** _angst, guess my hand slipped!_**

 ** _As always, don't be afraid to leave a review! Even negative feed back is still feedback (just don't be a troll, 'kay)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen:**

"You've officially lost it, you know that right?" Pantherlily asked, arms crossed as he stood atop a table in the guild hall. Everyone was busy getting ready for their various jobs and journeys as they waited for the recruits from Lamia Scale and Sabertooth to arrive. Jude, as per usual, was far away from everyone else, standing near the door, arms crossed, just staring silently at everyone else.

"Aw, c'mon," Gajeel whined. "It would only be a few days, at the most."

"This is Levy and libraries we're talking about. It could be months!" Pantherlily exclamied. "Besides, if she won't let you tag along, what makes you think she'll let me."

"That's why you don't let her know you're tagging along."

"What!? And how do you-"

"Look, it's not that I don't trsut Levy. It's that old creep that's going along with her."

"Mr. Heartfelia?"

"Who else?"

"He's not even a wizard, Gajeel. How would he-"

"I don't know. None of us know hardly anything about him! Hence why I don't trust him!"

"Gajeel, you're over reac-"

"Gajeel!" Levy called as she skipped over to her fiance, a pack on her back.

"Oh, hey Shrimp," Gajeel smiled and stood to greet her.

"I'm about to head out," Levy said as she took one of his hands in both of hers.

"Alright, just stay safe, okay? Not that I wouldn't mind beating up on some theives or no-good-doers. But I'd rather you not be in the middle of it all."

"I'll be fine," Levy rolled her eyes. "I'm an S class wizard, I can handle myself."

"Yeah, yeah. Can't blame a guy for worrying, though, can you."

"Aw, you're cute when you care."

"Don't let the guys know."

Levy giggled and stood on her toes to hug Gajeel. Gajeel returned the hug. As he did so he opened the top of her backpack, grabbed Pantherlily by the scruff of his neck and stuffed him inside before the exceed could protest. Levy gave Gajeel a kiss on the cheek and then skipped to to door, never noticing the extra weight in her pack as she made her way to Jude.

"You ready?" she asked.

"Yes, I suppose," Jude siad as he turned and looked at Lucy. She was seated at a table near the middle of the room, hands folded in her lap as her husband was busy packing both of their bags beside her.

"Just give me a minute," Jude said as he walked towards Lucy.

"Sure thing," Levy nodded as she watched him go.

"Lucy?" Jude asked as he reached his daughter's side.

"Hm. Oh, hi, Dad," Lucy answered, tensing up a bit. What did he want now?

They both just stood there, staring awkardly at each other. Natsu shot a sharp glare towards Jude before going back to his packing.

"You, erm, will be safe with these friends you're meeting I hope?" Jude asked.

Lucy nodded, brows furrowed in slight confusion. "You can trust them to keep me safe."

"Good," Jude set a hand on his daughter's shoulder, though a bit awkwardly. "I'll see you when you get back."

"Yeah, okay…" Lucy nodded as he walked back towards Levy and the two headed out.

"What was that about?" Natsu asked once he was gone.

"I'm not sure," Lucy answered.

A knock came at the door.

"Oh, I guess one of the other guilds are here," Mirajane smiled as she opened the door. The minute it had swung open, a very sickish look Rogue stumbled in, clutching his hands to his mouth as he raced, or waddled towards the bathroom. The sound of the shadow dragon slayer emptying his stomach rang through the hall. Yukino cautiously peeked into the hall.

"Oh, dear," she muttered. "We tried to get the smoothest riding carriage we could afford but I guess it wasn't enough to keep poor Rogue from getting sick."

"Yukino!" Lucy cheered as she ran to hug her old friend.

"Lucy!" Yukino threw her arms around Lucy. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lucy answered.

"And I'm so happy for you! It must be so exciting to know you're about to become a mother."

"Yeah. It was a bit shocking at first, but Natsu and I are both excited."

 _A bit worried at the moment, though, with all this prophecy stuff, though._

Rufus and Orba came in behind Yukino and began greeting everyone.

"So, what is the mission at hand?" Rufus asked in a bright and cheery voice as he shook everyone's hand.

"I thought Sting would have told you," Gray asked as he took the Sabertooth member's hand.

"Indeed he has, but I would like to commit more details to memory," Rufus explained.

"Well, we don't really have a lot of 'details' planned exactly," Gray explained. "All we really got is that we're searching the Waas forest."

"Oh, and we need four Lucy decoys," Natsu piped up. "Well, actually three. Jenny has already volunteered to be one."

"What for?" Gray asked.

"Well, because there are five Christinas," Natsu explained. "The real lucy will be on one, but we need four decoys to go on the others."

"Oh, I could be one!" Yukino volunteered. "After all, who better to stand in for a Celestial Wizard than another Celestial Wizard."

"And I can be the third," Mirajane offered. "With my transformation magic I can make myself look exactly like her."

"Thanks for the offer, Mira, but they'll need you in the forest," Lucy said. "You're one of the strongest wizards we have. They'll need you in case something bad happens."

"Well, guess I could do it instead," Lisanna offered. "My transformation magic isn't as good as Mira's but I could get the job done."

"No way! I need you to stay with Lucy and protect her," Natsu shouted.

"No, she can go be a decoy," Lucy said.

"But-"

Lucy set a hand on Natsu's arm. "I'll still have Eflman, Capricorn, and Loke."

"Hmph," Natsu grumbled. "Fine."

"Now we just need one more," Gray said.

"I won't do it!" Juvia screeched. "I've just now won my Gray in marriage and I won't be seperated from him!'

"No one asked you to, Babe," Gray sighed. "We just need one more girl to volunteer, that's all."

"What about me?" Wendy asked.

"You're a bit too young for that, ankle biter," Gajeel said as patted her on the head.

"I'm nineteen!"

"But you look fifteen."

"Aw, c'mon, you don't have to be mean about it," Wendy pouted.

"What, I wasn't trying to be mean, I'm just saying!" Gajeel protested.

"Where's Evergreen?" Laxus asked. "She could take the last spot."

"And why would I want to do that?" Evergreen asked as she stood up from behind the counter, a cup of tea in her hand.

"Sorry, I just assumed riding on a luxury airship and being pampered by hot Blue Pegasus babes was up your alley," Laxus explained.

"Hm, well when you put it like that you've almost got me convinced," Evergreen murmured. "Although no one would ever mistaken me for Lucy. I'm much more, shall we say, glamorous, curvacious, and fabulous than she is."

"In your dreams!" Natsu called from where he sat next to Lucy.

"Aw, so cute, standing up your wife," Evergreen crooned. "Oh, well, I suppose I'll do everyone a favor and go along."

"Thank you, Evergreen," Lucy smiled.

Another knock came at the door. Mirajane opened it and in walked Sherria, Lyon, Toby, and Yuka walked in.

"Sherria!" Wendy called as she ran to her friend.

"Wendy!" Sherria hugged the blue-head. "It's so good to see you!"

"Good to see you, too!"

"Juvia!" Lyon called as he ran to her, clasping both her hands in his. "How have you been. Has that numb-skull Gray been treating you well?"

"Hey, back off," Gray shouted as he shoved Lyon aside and put his arm around Juvia's shoulders. "That's my wife you're talking to."

"So you finally decided to marry her? Did you?"

"You were invited to the wedding, you idiot! Just because you didn't come doesn't mean it didn't happen!"

"I meant to come, but the pain was too-"

"You two can continue this later," Erza remarked as she stepped in between the two ice wizards. "Now that everyone has arrived we need to head out for Mount Hakobe."

"Indeed," Jellal agreed as he joined his wife at her side. "The longer we doddle here the more time we give the enemy to make a plan of attack."

"Alright, so let's go," Natsu stood and extended his hand to Lucy.

Everyone began to file out of the Guild Hall: Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Jellal, Gray, Juvia, Gajeel, Laxus, Mirajane, Elfman, Lisanna, Evergreen, Bickslow, Freed, Wendy, Carla, Happy, Rogue, Yukino, Rufus, Orba, Lyon, Sherria, Toby, and Yuka. Makarov watched them go, Cana and Guildarts at his side. They had both volunteered to stay at the Guild Hall in case anyone came attacking. Makarov sighed as they all filed out.

"Good luck, my children, stay safe," he whispered.

Erza stopped just outside the door and let out a groan.

"What's wrong?" Jellal asked.

"This means we have to meet up with Ichiya…"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"I smell their parfume, they are approaching, men!"

"Yes, sir!"

The Blue Pegasus Guild members looked over the hill as a throng wizards walked up towards them.

"Welcome, friends!" Ichiya called as he pirouetted his way towards them. "I'm glad to see you have all made it safe and sound."

"Thanks for coming out," Natsu said as he extended a hand to the shorter man.

"But of course," Ichiya nodded and twirled. "In times of need we must band together. For it is the bonds of friendship that hold together this world we call home."

"Erm...sure?" Natsu replied, looking thoroughly confused.

"Lucy!" Ichiya made his way to her and took her hands in his. "Hm. Impending motherhood has added an intoxicating flavor to your parfume."

"No, you don't!" Natsu wanred putting his foot in the shorter man's face and pushing him away.

"Man!" Ichiya whined as tumbled down the hill and landed at the feet of-

"Erza!"

"Oh, no," the red-head squeaked as she stared at the stubby little creep.

"How long has it been since we-"

"No," Jellal stated as he stepped up, scopped his wife in his arms, and began walking off.

"Erza! Wait, come back to me."

"Just. No," Jellal said again as he walked up the hill, Natsu and Lucy, the rest of Blue Pegasus, past all five Christinas, and further up hills, muttering another:

"No," as he went along.

"Huh, I'll have to try that," Natsu thought outloud to himself as Ren approached him and Lucy, Sherry by his side.

"So, you'll be hanging with us, huh?" he asked Lucy.

Lucy nodded.

"Well, alright, we better get going," Ren said. "We want to make sure we're good and hidden by the time the rest of the group hits the Waas Forest so won't come looking for us before hand."

Sherry left her husband's side and through her arms around Lucy's neck. "Don't worry. We'll keep you and that baby safe. For love!"

"The big, dar blue one with the green sparkles is ours," Ren explained. "Hop on when you're ready."

Ren and Sherry walked back towards their Christina, hand in hand.

Lucy watched them go, then turned back to Natsu. He was staring at her with a strange look in his eyes. He walked towards her, arms open. She ran towards him and into his arms, tucking her head under his chin as he ran his hand over her hair.

"We'll be back before you know it," Natsu assured her.

"I know," Lucy whispered. "I believe in you. As I always have."

Natsu gave her shoulders an extra squeeze, before craddling the back of her head and tilting her face towards his so he could kiss her, then leaned his forehead against hers.

"Keep our little girl safe," he told her as he brushed her nose against hers. "I'll handle the rest."

"I know you will," she smiled as she kissed him again, then headed towards her Christina. Elfman followed after her.

"I'll keep an eye on her," he assured Natsu as he slapped him on the back.

"You better," Natsu replied. He watched the door of the Christina's door close behind Elfman and Lucy. Lucy turned and looked over her shoulder, waving to him one last time before the door sealed shut. Natsu waved back and watched as the ship sailed into the air and towards Mount Hakobe. He kept his eyes on the ship until it disappeared from sight. Literally. One moment the ship was there, the next it had sputtered and shined into invisibility.

Hm. Must have been that cloaking device Master Bob had talked about in his letter.

"N-n-now that Lucy is s...safe," Ichiya stuttered as he waddled dizzily back up the hill towards where everyone was still waiting. "It's time to get the de-de-decoys into the air."

"Yes sir!" the rest of the Trimen agreed whole-heartedly.

"Obviously, my lovely Jenny will be coming with me," Hibiki sing-songed as he and Jenny made their way towards a purple Christina.

"Too bad I'll never be mistakened for Lucy," Jenny sighed. "I'm fare more beautiful than her."

"No you're not!" Natsu shouted after them as the door closed and it took off.

"I guess I'll take this beautiful young lady, here," Even said, offering his hand to Yukino.

"Oh, um, okay," Yukino whispered as she took his hand and he led her to a pink Christina.

"Given the choice between Ichiya and the cat, I'll take the cat," Lisanna said quickly as she scopped Nichiya into her arms and carried the exceed to a pale green Christina.

"I suppose that leaves me with this wonderous being," Ichiya smiled as he waltzed up to Evergreen and took her hand.

"Wait, what?" Evergreen squeaked as Ichiya forcibly took her hand and began dragging her to a yellow Christina.

"This is not what I signed up for!" she protested as she fought against the short man's surprisingly strong grip. It was no use, though. Soon enough she had been dragged into the ship and it had taken off. With the last Christina off into the air they could now see Jellal and Erza. Turns out the two had just slipped behind the ships in order to hide from Ichiya, Erza cowering behind her husband's broad shoulders.

"Is he gone?" she asked.

"Yes, he's gone," Jellal told her as he patted her hand and walked back to the main group. "Now that the decoys are in place we should divide into groups so that we can cover as much ground in the forest as possible."

He motioned for everyone to gather around him as he pulled out a map of the Waas forest and divided it into five areas.

"As there are 20 of us we can divide ourselves into five teams of four. Freed, Bickslow, Laxus and Mirajane, you four can take the North. Gray, Juvia, Wendy, and Carla, you four take the South. Rogue, Orba, Rufus, and Gajeel, take the East."

"Wait, why do I gotta be with them?" Gajeel protested.

"I look forward to committing many of your iron spells to memory," Rufus said.

"That's not making me feel better," Gajeel muttered.

"Lyon, Sherria, Yuka, and Toby can take the West. Natsu, Happy, Erza, and myself will go to the center of the forest. Every night Hibiki will contact us with his telepathy so that we can update each other with any informaton we may come across during the day. Unfortunately we'll have to keep these conversations brief to minimize any eavesdropping. So no personal gossip or blabbering. We're on a mission, you'd do well to remember that."

"Will do," Laxus nodded, before turning to his team mates. "Let's move out."

"Right," Freed nodded.

"Let's rock, babies!" Bickslow cheered as the North team headed out.

"Let's rock!" the wooden dolls cheered as they followed along behind.

The South, East, and West teams headed out after them. The Center team was the last to head out. As they made their way in the woods, Jellal turned to Natsu, Erza, and Happy.

"Just so you know, I have a hunch that they may be hiding in the very heart of the forest," he said. "I don't have any evidence for this, but I have a feeling we'll be facing a lot more resistance than any of the other groups."

"Fine by me. Let 'em come," Natsu grumbled.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"...and this is your room," Sherry said as she led Lucy down the hall to a room in the back of the Christina.

"I'll let you get settled in, let us know if you need anything."

"Okay, thanks," Lucy smiled as she watched Sherry walk out and close the door behind her. She then looked about the room. It was small, but cozy. It had pale pink walls, and a plush white carpet. Along the wall was a twin sized bed and a white dresser with a floral design. There was a small window over the bed. She peaked out it at the swirling snow storms of the mountain they were hovering over through the pink film of illusion magic that was keeping them hidden. It looked cold out there. Lucy sat on the bed. It felt cold, too. It wasn't really. It was about the same room temperature as everything else around her. She was so used to sharing a bed with Natsu though that anything cooler than a heating pad felt cold to her.

She sighed as she placed a hand over her stomach. "You still doing alright in there?" she asked. Of course there was no answer, still she smiled.

"Yeah, I bet you are. You're probably taking this all in stride just like your Daddy would."

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen:**

"So what's the plan?" Erza asked.

"We head to the heart of Waas Forest," Jellal explained. "Even if my hunch is wrong and their headquarters are not there we'll be bound to find some clues."

"Or some punks we can beat info out of," Natsu added as he punched his fist into his palm.

"Perhaps, but let's not get ahead of ourselves," Jellal replied. "Remember, the purpose of this mission is simply to locate their headquarters so that we can attack them with the entire force of Fairy Tail. If we engage prematurely it could spell disaster."

"Please, I've taken Ivan, Jose, and Jiemma on before, and I could do it again," Natsu argued.

"All at once, though?" Happy asked.

"Sure, why not?" Natsu shrugged.

"Because you have a wife and child you need to come home to," Erza answered. "Alive and in one piece."

"You doubting me, Erza?"

"Not entirely. I simply don't want you to do anything reckless and get yourself killed or injured."

"Hmph," Natsu grumbled.

"C'mon, guys, we're losing daylight," Happy cheered as he flew ahead of the four wizards. "Don't we wanna get to the center of the wood before sundown?"

"That would be best," Jellal nodded. "The sooner we can there the sooner we can begin searching."

"And the sooner we can have lunch!" Happy cheered.

"So let's get going!" Natsu replied as he ran ahead, making sure to take deep breaths through his nose as he hurried along, smelling for anything that might give him any clues.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Question, what exactly are we looking for?" Laxus asked as he and his team wondered along.

"Anything and everything that might be useful," Mirjane answered brightly as she skipped alongside her husband.

"Which would be…?" Laxus asked with a shrug.

"Oh, you know, tracks, signs of old encampments, spies-"

"That?" Bickslow asked as he pointed ahead.

"Oh," Mirajane gasped, clapping her hands to her mouth in horror.

"That would indeed qualify," Freed answered as he stared ahead.

Just a few steps in front of them was a smoldering clearing burned through the trees. Towering timbers had been reduced to ash, flames licked the ground and turned it black. Strewn amongst the logs of charcoal were the remnants of a wagon caravan.

"Quick!" Mirajane raced ahead. "We've gotta help them!"

The four wizards raced ahead, squinting through the smoke. Mirajane was the first to see a body, a middle-aged woman draped over a cracked wagon wheel.

"Ma'am, ma'am! Are you okay?" she asked as she rolled the woman onto the ground. Just one touch was enough to tell her the poor soul was gone. She was cold as ice despite being surrounded by fire.

"Oh, you poor thing," Mirajane whispered as she closed the older woman's eyes. Around her the other three began looking through the other poor sould unfortunate enough to be on the ill fated caravan.

Laxus dumped two teenage boys onto the ground before checkingthem for a pulse. His eyes darkened as he shook his head.

"Gone."

"So is everyone here," Freed said as he climbed out of the dilapidated wagon he'd climbed into.

"Are they all dead?" Bickslow wondered.

"All dead?" the wooden dolls hovering around him.

Mirajane's bottom lip trembled as her brows furrowed in anger. "I don't understand. Who would have done this?"

"Who else?" Laxus asked.

"You don't seriously think your father did this," Mirajane asked.

Laxus didn't say anything else, but the look of sheer anger on his face was enough to tell her that he did hold Ivan responsible for this. She turned away, unable to look at her husband when he was so enraged.

A small noise caught her attention. A whimper from some of the still unburned underbrush. She stood and walked towards a bush and peaked under it. There, cowering amongst it's roots was a little girl, about four years old. Her face was caked in blood, her hair was dirty, and she was trembling as she covered her face in her tiny hands and wept.

"Hey," Mirajane crooned as she began crawling into the undergrowth.

The girl whimpered again and scooted away from her.

"It's okay, you're safe now," Mirajane called softly as she reached out her hand. The girl peaked out from behind her hands and looked up at Mirajane. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and her face puffy from her tears.

"I'm a Fairy Tail wizard," Mirajane said. "We're here to help you."

The little girl's bottom lip trembled and she reached out and took Mirajane's hand. She gently guided the child out of the bush. The minute they were out she picked the girl up and hid her face in her shoulder so she wouldn't have to see the carnage around her.

"Mira, is that-" Laxus began asking, but Mirajane began walking off.

"Keep looking for survivors," she said as she carried the child away.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Why don't we stop for a minute," Levy asked. It was the first time since she and Jude had left out that either of them had said a word.

"Very well," Jude nodded as they sat down under a tree and began opening their packs. As soon as Levy opened hers a burst of black fur flew out of the pack and rolled into the grass.

"Pantherlily!?" Levy shouted.

"Sweet air!" the black exceed gasped. "Sweet release!"

"What are you doing here!?" Levy asked as she threw her pack at him, knocking him into the tree.

"Ouch!" Pantherlily shouted. "Geez! First Gajeel than you."

"Did Gajeel put you up to this?" Levy asked.

"Yeah, forcibly!" Pantherlily stated as he cracked his neck and spine back in place. "He shoved me into your pack while you were hugging."

"Ergh! When I meet up with him I am going to give him a serious talking to."

"Erm...why is there a cat?" Jude asked, in a concerned voice.

"Technically I'm an exceed," Pantherlily answered. "And I just explained it. Gajeel stuffed me into Levy's knap sack."

"And why exaclty did he do that?" Levy asked.

"Because he doesn't trust Mr. Heartfe-I mean!" Pantherliyl stiffened as he remembered Jude was right behind him. "I mean, he doesn't trust the...um...weather! Yeah, he was afraid that there'd be...um...a thunderstorm, and the you might get struck by lightning."

"So he sent the guy with a phobia of storms? Not buying it!"

"Look, I don't know why he sent me, he just did!"

"Still not buying it. It's because he doesn't think I can handle myself, isn't it?"

"No! It's not that at all! He just-"

"Isn't it obvious?" Jude sighed sadly, causing both Levy and Pantherlily to llok at him. "Your fiance doesn't trust me."

Pantherlily and Levy exchanged a glance.

"Don't be angry at him. Any man in his position would do the same thing. Well, maybe not send a cat, but still."

"Exceed."

"Apologies," Jude said to the black cat as he settled down at the base of the tree and puled out a sandwich to nibble on.

"I'm still giving him a talking to when I get back," Levy muttered under her breath.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"There you go," Mirajane said as she washed the last of the dirt and the blood off the little girl's face. "Now we can see that pretty little face of yours."

The little girl just stared at her folded hands, face sullen. She was a cute little thing. She had sunset red hair, blue eyes, and an adorable little button nose. Mira sighed as she looked as the sad little child and knelt down in front of her.

"Can you tell me your name?"

The little girl nodded slowly.

"Okay, what is it?" Mirajane asked after the little girl didn't respond.

"Farrah," she answered in a quiet voice.

"How old are you, Farrah?"

"Four and a half."

"Can you tell me what happened here?"

Farrah shuddered as she wrapped her tiny, scratched up arms around herself.

"It's okay if you don't want to," Mirajane said as she set a hand on top of the little girl's head.

"We were going to Beanstalk City," Farrah whispered. "Daddy said he was going to sell the tools he made, and Momma said she'd use the money to get me a new dress. But then-" her bottom lip began trembling. "Then those scary men in the black capes showed up. And they began throwing fire and ghosts at us. And...and…" she crumpled into a heaving mess of tears.

"Oh, sh, sh, sh," Mirajane pulled the little girl into her arms. "It's okay. It's over now. You're safe."

"But it's not!" Farrah sobbed. "Those scary guys are still out there! They might com back!"

"If they do we'll protect you," Mirajane assured her. "Fairy Tail has dealt with monsters a lot worse than them."

"Really?" Farrah asked, culring up into a ball in Mirajane's lap.

"Really," she smiled softly. She heard footsteps coming up behind her. Turning, she saw Laxus, Freed, and Bickslow coming back. Alone. Mira's eyes darkened as she looked to Laxus who shook his head. She let out a sad sigh as she looked down at Farrah. So this little girl was the sole survivor…

Laxus settle down next to his wife and set a hand on Farrah's head.

"How you holding up, kid?"

"Okay," she whispered. "My name is Farrah. I'm four and a half years old."

"Well, Farrah, it's nice to meet you. My name's Laxus," he shook the little girl's hand. His face was serious. "And I'm the guy who's gonna get the people who did this to your folks."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Nothing," Natsu grumbled as he plopped onto the ground, staring out at the sunset.

"Don't be discouraged," Erza told him as she sat across from him. "After all, it's only the first day, and it took us longer to make it here than we expected."

"Tch," Natsu crossed his arms, looking about the clearing they'd chosen to camp at. "Would have got here sooner if somebody didn't decide to wander off."

"It was a giant, fat, fishy! What did you expect me to do," Happy complained.

"For the last time, that was not a fish it was a river dolphin," Erza grumbled. "And we may have been able to regain ground coverage if someone hadn't kept us held up for an hour."

"I was trying to save Happy," Natsu protested.

"By boarding a log as if it were a boat when you know you get motion sickness?"

"You would have done the same thing!"

"I don't get motion sickness!"

"It doesn't matter, now" Jellal stated as he entered the clearing. "What matters is we've made it. We'll begin searching tomorrow."

"You finished checking the perimeter?" Erza asked.

"Yes," Jellal nodded as he sat down next to her. "We appear to be safe. Though we should take turns keeping watch, just to be safe."

"I'll take the first round," Natsu offered. He had a feeling he wouldn't be tired once it got dark anyways, not without Lucy there with him.

"Very well, I'll take second," Erza said.

"And I third." Jellal continued.

"Guess that makes me fourth!" Happy cheered.

 _If we ever get to fourth,_ Erza thought to herself as she turned to Jellal. Knowing him once his shift started he'd probably just stay up the whole night. He did lots of thinking at night. And given their last conversation about their...future...he probably had a lot to think about.

" _Can everyone hear me?"_ Hibiki's voice rang out in everyone's head.

"Hey, good to hear from you!" Natsu called. "Luce! Lucy, can you hear me?"

" _I hear you,"_ Lucy's sweet voice rang out in his mind. " _You doing okay?"_

"Doing great, Beautiful. How about you?"

" _I'm doing fine. Did you find anything?"_

"Afraid not," Natsu answered. "Been pretty boring, actually."

" _Is everyone else here?"_ Hibiki asked.

" _We're here,"_ Gray's voice called. " _Unfortunately we've got nothing to report. Been nothing but little forrest animals over here."_

" _Been some really cute bunnies, though,"_ Wendy added.

" _Well, same goes over here,"_ Gajeel's voice rang out. " _Nothing to report."_

" _Nor here,"_ Lyon called. " _Juvia, how about you, sweet thing?"_

" _I'm on the same team as Gray, therefore my answer is the same as his."_

" _And never call my wife 'sweet thing' again, you creep!"_

"So that just leaves the North team," Jellal said. "Freed, Bickslow, Laxus, Mirajane, any news."

" _Yeah, we've got news,"_ Laxus called out. " _And it ain't good."_

Everyone tensed at this.

" _We came across a band of travelling merchants. Raven Lord / Phantom Tail attacked them. They…"_ his voice trailed off. " _They killed them."_

"All of them?" Erza asked.

" _All but one little girl named Farrah. She described the men to us and they all had their makr on them."_

Natsu gritted his teeth. Those pieces of…

" _But why?"_ Wendy asked. " _Why would they do that? What did those poor people have that they could want?"_

" _Nothing, I think,"_ Laxus said. " _Looks to me like they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."_

"Hm," Jellal thought. "More than likely they got too close to their headquarters, so they saw it best to get rid of them."

"Well, now we have a better idea of where they are," Natsu said. "Let's go!"

" _Not until you get some rest! I will not have you running yourself ragged!"_ Lucy shouted.

" _Where's the little girl?"_ Carla asked in a concerned voice.

" _She's here with us,"_ Mirajane answered. " _She's sleeping for now. We'll keep her with us until we can get back to the Guild Hall."_

"Just be careful," Erza said. "Those fiends may still be nearby."

" _Don't worry,"_ Mirajane asked. " _We have Bickslow and his babies keeping watch."_

"Very good," Erza answered.

" _I'm about to cut us off so we don't get any eavesdroppers,"_ Hibiki called out.

"Wait, one minute!" Natsu said.

" _Yes? Is there something you'd like to say?"_ Hibiki asked.

"Yeah, I've got something to say," Natsu said. "Lucy?"

" _Yes, Natsu?"_

" I love you."

" _I love you, too."_

" _Aw!"_ about a dozen voices called out.

" _Get a room,"_ Gajeel muttered.

" _Seriously,"_ Gray added.

"Shut it!" Natsu shouted. "You guys are just jealous."

There was no reply. Apparently Hibiki had shut off the telepahtic connection.

"Lucy?" Natsu asked.

"You've already heard from her, you know she's fine," Erza said.

"I know, but...but…"

"I know," Erza stood and patted him on the shoulder. "But she'll be fine. She's in a safe place, and she's a strong-"

"I'm gonna go keep watch," Natsu said as he stood up and climbed up a tree where he could see far and wide over the camp. Erza watched him, a concerned look on her face.

"I can't say I blame him," Jellal stated. "I'd be the same way."

"I know," Erza said. "But I still worry…"

Ignoring the two wizards Happy flew and rested on a branch next to Natsu, who was glaring at the world around him. The sun had set by now, engulfing the forest in darkness. His nose and ears were sharp enough to detect anything trying to sneak up on them.

"You okay?" Happy asked.

"No," Natsu answered.

"You wanna talk about it."

"No."

Happy sighed. He knew Natsu was worried and just ready to beat some bad folks up.

"You wanna be left alone?"

Natsu sighed. "No."

Happy smiled faintly. He hopped up and Natsu's shoulder and nestled against his hair, where he soon feel asleep. Though his worries did not go away, having his old friend near his side did make him feel a bit better. Natsu smiled and continued keeping watch.

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen:**

"Is this soup to your liking?" Sherry asked as she, Ren, Elfman, and Lucy sat at the dinner table in the Christina.

"Hm?" Lucy asked, her mind elsewhere. She quickly snapped out of it and looked about the table. "Oh, yes. It's nice. Thank you."

"Could use more meat, though," Elfman muttered. "Make it more manly."

"Don't be so silly," Sherry said. "Brocoli is like, the perfect pregnancy food."

 _Of course,_ Lucy thought to herself as she twirled her spoon in her cream of brocoli soup. _Everyone's gotta make sure I don't break, or fall apart, or something like that. Seriously, can they just treat like good ol' Lucy and not as something fragile?_

"Actually, I'm not that hungry right now…" Lucy pushed her chair to stand up.

"No, please, sit back down," Ren insisted. "You need to keep your stregnth up. For the baby."

 _Ergh!_

Lucy huffed as she sat back down, spooning more of the soup into her mouth. She meant what she said. She wasn't hungry. In fact her stomach was feeling a little queazy. If this was a fraction of Natsu felt everytime he got onto some sort of transportation, she'd never hark on him for being a wimp ever again.

"C'mon, you've got eat. You're feeding two now-" Sherry said when she

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Lucy muttered as she spooned another bite of soup into her mouth, gagging slightly. The soup did taste good, her stomach just couldn't handle it. Ever since she'd gotten onto the Christina her stomach had been acting funny. It was almost as if the baby was telling her she wasn't happy with their current situation. With much insistance from Ren and Sherry Lucy finished her soup, and then head for her room. She had to make a pit stop in the bathroom, though, to barf up the meal she'd just eaten.

"Ugh," she groaned as she wiped her mouth off on the back of her hand. "You don't need to make this any harder than it already is, sweetie." She muttered to her stomach as she stood up and finished walking to her room. She sighed. The whirling of the blizzard winds outside her window only made the loneliness she was already starting to feel creep faster into her chest.

She wished Hibiki would have let her and Natsu talk a bit longer, but she understood that they had to keep things brief for safety reasons. She sighed as she sat down onto her bed.

"Oof!" she cringed as she placed a hand to her stomach. She gasped. The muscles lining her abdomen were aching badly, but that's not what caught her off guard. It was the bump she felt. Sure, she'd already had one coming in, but it already felt like it had doubled in size. It still was too small for anyone who didn't know better to notice, but she certainly did.

"Hm," she muttered as she thought to herself. "I guess cramps are to be expected when your stomach is growing ten times it's normal size."

She stood to walk to her dresser to pick out a set of pajamas to wear, only to groan with a spazzing backpain.

"Oh, really?" she grumbled to her stomach. "You give me hardly any symptoms and then, the minute I'm on this tin can without your Daddy, BAM! All at once?"

She huffed as she pulled out a night gown and began changing into it.

"You start giving me much more trouble and I'll name you 'Natsu Jr."

She pulled the nightgown over her head, then stopped to think.

"Huh. I guess you do need a name, don't you?" she asked her stomach before chuckling softly. "Don't worry, it won't be Natsu. Last thing we need is two of him running around. Though depending on who you take more after we might get that anyways."

She pulled out a book of baby names and settled onto the bed, flipping to the "N" section.

"Maybe there's a female version of Natsu we can use…" she thought to herself as she flipped through the pages.

"It is quite possible."

"Ah! Capricorn, what are you doing here?"

"I said before I'd be here to assist you," Capricorn answered as he stepped up to the side of the bed. "Besides I sensed that you were feeling lonely. I can be quite a good conversationalist, if I do say so myself. So now, what names were you thinking of?"

"Well, I'm not sure yet. With all the chaos of this prophecy and the dark guild Natsu and I never really had time to talk about it."

"Well, that book of yours would be an excellent start."

Lucy smiled softly. "Yeah, I just wish Natsu were here."

"I know you do."

Lucy sighed.

"Think of it this way, you're not choosing a name without him. You're just thinning out the selections. After all, if I may be so bold, Natsu can be a bit...indecisive when it comes to these things."

"You can say that again," Lucy chuckled.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Laxus opened his eyes. He'd heard something. He sat up quickly, but carefully as not to wake up Mirajane sleeping next to him. Where was that noise coming from? He looked around and then he saw it.

Farrah was sitting under a nearby tree, her knees pulled up to her chest, her face buried ontop of it as she cried. Her little shoulder shook violently. Laxus sighed, then stood and walked towards her.

"You alright, kid?"

Farrah sniffled as she looked up at him.

"My Mommy and Daddy are dead aren't they?"

Laxus sighed and knealt down in front of her. "Yeah. I'm really sorry."

Farrah began crying again, loud hacking sobs that shook her entire body.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay," Laxus set a hand on her shoulder. "Like I said, we'll get the guys who took you parents away from you."

"But what will happen to me now?" Farrah asked. "I've gots nowheres to go."

"We'll take you back to Fairy Tail," Laxus answered with a small smile. "You wouldn't be the first orphan that's ended up there."

"But I'm not a wizard," Farrah answered. "I can't do magic."

"Can't, or have never tried?"

"Well, never tried," Farrah answered. "But if I never tried then I never will. And if I never will use magic I'll never ber a wizard. And you can't be in a wizard guild if you are not a wizard."

"Says who?" Laxus asked. "Besides, who knows? You might be a really powerful wizard and just don't know it yet."

Farrah leaned her chin on her knees and stared out in front of her.

"Watcha thinking about kid."

"Miss Mirajane said you'd protect me if those bad men came back."

"And we will."

"But what if they come back and you're not here?"

"Don't worry, we won't leave you alone."

"But what if I get lost? Mommy always said I was bad at wandering off."

"Really?" Laxus asked. _Good to know for future reference._

"What if they come and you can't save me? I don't wanna-"

"Alright," Laxus stood up and pulled Farrah to her feet by her hand, leading her away from the camp.

"Where we goin'?" she asked.

"You said you wanted to be a wizard, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"So I'm gonna make you a lightning wizard."

Farrah gasped as her eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yup." Laxus stopped in a clearing a few steps from the camp, and then turned back to the little girl, rolling his shoulders to loosen them up. "Lesson one-"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Natsu."

Natsu turned to find Erza climbing up the tree towards him.

"What?" he asked.

"You need your rest. I'll take over from here."

"Nah, I'm fine."

"Natsu…"

"I can last a few more hours. Thanks for asking, though."

"I wasn't asking. Go get some sleep."

"C'mon, don't be like that."

"Natsu!"

Natsu sighed. "Fine…" He stood to jump back to camp, but Erza stopped him.

"Actually, I have something to ask you. If you don't mind."

"Shoot," Natsu said.

"Um…" Erza shifted slightly. "It's a bit personal…"

"Okay…" Natsu arched an eyebrow.

"Did...erm...did you and Lucy ever talk much about having children before you got pregnant?"

Natsu blinked. He did not see that one coming.

"Sorry," Erza winced. "That was too bold. You don't have to-"

"No, it's okay," Natsu assured. "And, um, well, I mean, we talked about it a bit. We knew it was something we wanted to do in the future but we weren't planning on it happening right now. Why you ask?"

"Uh...well…"

"Are...are you and Jellal gonna…"

"We don't know yet," Erza answered. "It's something we've spoken briefly about, but we've never come to a set decision."

"Okay…" Natsu sat back down on the tree branch. "Do you want to have kids?"

Erza sighed. "I do. And...I think Jellal does too. But, he still feels so much guilt for what he's done in the past that he's afraid it might negatively affect any children we have. He's afraid he'll cause them harm."

Natsu sniffed. "Well, look at the mess my kid's in. And she's not even born yet."

Erza's eyes narrowed. "I hope you're not implying that this is in any way your fault."

"Tch," Natsu turned away from her. "Just saying, Jellal can't do much worse than this."

"Natsu, this isn't your fault," Erza said in a firm voice.

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'm serious!"

Natsu quickly turned away from her.

"You'd better listen to me! Just because-"

"Shush!"

Erza blinked, then glowered. "Did you just-"

"Quiet, I heard something!" Natsu hissed.

Erza closed her mouth and raced to his side, peering through the dark to try and see what may have caught his attention.

"There," Natsu pointed to a pile of underbrush.

Erza requipped into her flight armor and took off at top speed as Natsu jumped down and followed after her. Because of her improved speed in her Flight Armor Erza made it there first.

"You?" Natsu heard her shout. He pushed his way through the brush and found the Black Snake pinned to the ground under her boot, with her spear pointed at his neck.

"Wha-Didn't we leave you at the-"

Natsu and Erza shared a glance.

"The Guild Hall!" they both gasped.

Erza dug the tip of her spear further into his neck. "What did you do? How did you escape?"

"Oh, ho, ho, ho. Didn't I tell you my friends would come and get me?" the Black Snake hissed.

"What did you do to our friends back at Fairy Tail?" Natsu thundered, flames emitting from his fists.

"Oh, I'd be more worried about your friends in the skies if I were you…" the Black Snake smirked.

Natsu's insides grew cold. Friends in the sky? Friends in the Christinas?

"Lucy?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Hm...five flying ponies? But which is the right one? Worst case scenario I guess we could just capture all of them, though that would be a pain. On the upside there'd be a lot more lives to rip apart while I wait for that baby to get ripe for the picking."

"Aaaugh!" Natsu went to punch the guy, but Erza held out a hand.

"Stop," she said. "He's bluffing."

"Bluffing? How do you know?" Natsu asked. "And what if he isn't? What if Lucy's in trouble!"

"Had the guild hall come under attack someone would have let us know," Erza explained. "Besides, look at him, he's in as bad a shape as he was when we left him."

Natsu looked down at the Black Snake. Sure enough he was still in the same charred and bloodstained clothes he had been in before, and none of his wounds had been cleaned or wrapped in bandages.

"He must have broken out on his own and he's now making his way to their headquarters in the Northern Forest where Mira's team is. He ahsn't had a chance to share this information with his comrades."

"So, Lucy's safe?" Natsu asked.

"For now," Erza nodded.

Natsu let out of a sigh of relief.

"But we'll have to move quickly. Go wake up Happy. You and he need to get to Mira and the rest of the North Team as soon as possible. We have to find their base before they can spring anymore surprises on us. Jellal and I will take care of this fiend and meet you later."

"Right," Natsu nodded as he raced back to the camp to get Happy.

"Up, you," Erza order. The Black Snake did as he were told, all the while smiling evilly.

 _They actually fell for it…_

Natsu suddenly stopped, and slowly turned back to the Black Snake, eyes narrowed. He charaged back to him, grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and held him above the ground.

"Who are you really?" he asked.

"What?" the Black Snake asked, wide-eyed.

"What are you talking about, Natsu?" Erza asked. "Clearly this is-"

"Uh-uh. It's not him. He doesn't smell right," Natsu growled.

The Black Snake raised an eyebrow. "Seems you've gotten smarter since are last encounter."

His body began twisiting and contorting until it revealed.

"Hey, you're the earth wizard that used to work with Juvia when she was in Phantom Lord!" Natsu shouted.

"Oh, he remmbers!" Sol chuckled. "Seems we've both improved our skills over the years. You've gotten smarter, and I've added transformation magic to my repetoire!"

"What are you doing here?" Erza asked, pointing her spear at him.

"Isn't it obvious, getting you two imbeciles off course."

"Well, it didn't work," Natsu growled. "Because I sniffed you out."

"Hm. Oui, but just a tad too late."

 _Natsu's insides grew cold._

"Tell me, Fire Wizard, how long would you last in the harsh elements of Mount Hakobe? We need a timeline for how quickly we must move to retrieve your wife before the child's heat runs out."

"Lucy?"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Naomi? No….Narcissa…"

"The name of a beautiful flower. Fitting for any child destined to inherit yours and your mother's beauty," Capricorn nodded.

Lucy blushed. "Thanks, it's still a bit of a mouthful, though."

"True," Capricorn nodded.

Lucy went back to reading. "Narina. No. Narley? Who names their kid Narly? Sound too close to gnarly!"

"It does seem to be a bit odd. But also unique."

"I'll just leave that one off the list. Knowing Natsu he'd be all gun-ho for it," Lucy muttered.

"Nassa. Hm...maybe. Nashi...Nashi? Huh."

Lucy let the name roll off her tongue a few more times. It sound a bit like Natsu but it had enough of a feminine flare to it that it would be fitting of a baby girl.

"Nashi…" she repeated once again.

"Simple, but does have a unique flare to it," Capricorn said.

"Yeah, I kind of like it," she smiled.

"I'll add it to the list then," Capricorn jotted the name down in the notepad he'd picked up from Lucy's dresser.

"Say, Capricorn, there's somethign I've been meaning to ask you."

"Yes, Ms. Lucy?"

"Well, it's about the titans…"

"The beings whose power your child is destined to inherit."

"Yeah, them. You guys were alive at the same time they were, right?"

"Indeed."

"So, do you remember anythign about them."

"A little bit, but I don't think the information I have will be of much use to you."

"Why is that."

Capricorn sighed. "Do you remember when the Eclipse altered our personas, Ms. Lucy?"

"How could I forget?"

"While you did manage to save us, the Eclipse damaged some of our memories. Fortunately all of our more recent ones are still intact, but the further back in time we look the blurry things get."

"Which includes the times when the titans were around," Lucy sighed.

"I'm afraid so."

Lucy hung her head. "Well, thanks anyways. For everything. Having someone I can talk to is nice."

"If it will be of any comfort to you, though I don't remember any specifics of the titans, I do rememebr a few things. Nothign solid. No images. More like, feelings."

"Feelings?"

"Yes. I can remember how I felt in certain situations, even if I don't know what the situation is."

"I guess that makes sense."

"When I think back to the titans I feel no fear or anger. Though I'm not sure what they were I do not believe they were evil in any way."

"Then why were they locked away?"

"I can't answer that, I'm afraid. Shall we continue looking for names?"

"Sur-"

 _Boom!_

The entire ship shook as a loud noise errupted through the ship.

"What was that?" Lucy asked as alarms blared off.

"We're under attack!" Elfman's voice rang from down the hall. "Lucy, are you-"

 _Boom!_

A blinding light engulfed Lucy, disorienting her. When she came too she was horrified to find that she was falling.

"Wha-" she stuttered as the snowy ground of Mount Hakobe raced towards her. Or rather she to it.

"Ah!"

"I've got you!" Capricorn said as he took her into his arms and she fumbled for her keys.

"Open, gate of the ram! Aries!"

The crisp white snow was replaced with a fluffy pink cloud that she landed harmlessly against.

"Are you okay, Ms. Lucy?" Aries asked as she raced to Lucy's side.

"I think so," Lucy replied. "Thanks."

She looked up to find two billowing clouds of smoke blowing out of the Christina as it sailed away at top speeds to escape whatever was attacking it.

"Wait, don't leave me!" Lucy cried as she reached towards it. It was no use, though, it was gone. It was only then did the cold register. It was a blizzard out here, and she was in nothing but a nightgown.

"Here," Capricorn took off his suit jacket and threw it around her shoulders.

"O-o-o-open th-the-g-ga-gate of the -ma-maiden. V-v-v-Virgo!"

"Here princess, coats, mittens, and shoes from the Celestial World," the pink haired maid said as she threw the garments over Lucy's shoulders, ontop of Capricorn's coat.

"Thank you," Lucy whispered as she laced up the boots.

"Come," Capricorn pulled her to her feet. "We must get you out of the elements."

"What was that?" Lucy asked as the goat butler lead her through the snow.

"I'm not sure, but it would be unwise to stick around and find out."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

" _Can everyone hear us?"_ Hibiki's voice rang out in everyone's minds. " _We just got a message. Christina #5 has just been attacked!"_

Natsu felt as if his entire body had been turned to ice. "Isn't that the one with Lucy on it?"

" _Can anyone on Christina #5 hear me?"_ Hibiki called.

" _Yeah, I hear you,"_ Ren called. " _The Christina is down, though. We won't be able to repair it from here."_

" _We'll come get you,"_ Hibiki called. " _Just stay there."_

"Lucy? Lucy, can you hear me?" Natsu yelled.

" _Lucy's gone!"_ Sherry cried.

"What do you mean gone!?" Natsu shouted.

" _Someone has torn off the wall to her room and has taken her!"_

Before Sherry could finish explaining Natsu had taken off, running back the way they'd come.

" _I'll widen my telepathy to see if I can pick her up,"_ Hibiki said.

"LUCY! LUCY! CAN YOU HEAR ME, BABY? WHERE ARE YOU!?" he screamed as he stumbled over roots and rocks. She had to be okay. She just had to be! He knew this was going to happen! Why did he leave her? How could he have been so stupid!

" _Natsu..."_ Lucy's voice called. It was weak, and frightened, but it was there.

"Lucy! Are you okay?" Natsu shouted as he kept running.

" _I'm fine. But I don't know where I am...somewhere on Mount Hakobe. Capricorn is trying to find somewhere for us to get out of the snow."_

" _Up ahead, Ms. Lucy, I see a cave!"_ the goat butler's voice was very weak. They must have been somewhere far away.

"Get inside it and stay there!" Natsu shouted. "I'm coming!"

" _We'll meet you back at our earlier rendevouz point, Man!"_ Ichiya called.

" _We'll come too,"_ Lisanna called. " _The more we've got looking the better."_

" _As will our team,"_ Yukino added. " _I've already sent Deneb to look for her."_

" _And we'll pick up the rest of the Christina #5 crew,"_ Jenny said.

" _We have our plan in place, now let's move, Man!"_ Ichiya ordered.

" _Natsu?"_ Lucy asked, her voice still faint.

"I'm coming, Luce, don't worry."

" _I know you are just, please hurry."_

"I'll be there bfore you know it. Just stay safe, okay?"

" _I have to sign off now,"_ Hibiki called. " _The rest of you on the ground should start heading towards the North Team. They are getting more agressive. We need to find their base ASAP."_

" _I'm sending out my babies to scout ahead, we'll have a course of action when you get here,"_ Bickslow called.

" _Safe travels friends,"_ Freed called.

" _We have a prisoner,"_ Erza said. " _That should make finding their hide out a bit easier."_

" _If he'll talk,"_ Carla said.

" _I'll make him talk,"_ Jellal assured the group. " _Just focus on getting to your new positions. We'll meet up with the North Team once we've gotten everything we need from this fellow."_

" _Signing off now!"_ Hibiki called and the connection went cold. Natsu just kept running until he reached the river Happy had gotten carried away by earlier. Jumping as high as he could he grabbed a tree branch, swung across, and began running again.

"I'm coming, Lucy, just hang on."

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen:**

"Here we go," Capricorn said as he lead Lucy into the cave. It was slightly warmer inside, at least the wind wasn't able to get to her. She was still cold, though, even with all the coats and mittens her spiritis had given her.

"Open gate of the clock, Horologium," she called.

"How may I assist you, Ms. Lu-"

The clock didn't even finish before Lucy had climbed in side him.

"Ms. Lucy, you musn't use too much of your magic energy. If you run out or exhaust yourself it could harm the baby," Capricorn warned.

"'I haven't got much of a choice right now' she says through chattering teeth," Horologium replied on Lucy's behalf.

"Yes, so it would appear," Capriorn nodded. "However, would you mind if I did a favor for you so you will not have to use any mor energy?"

"'Anything you can do that would help, please do it' she says hopefully."

"I'll be right back," Capricorn disappeared in a flash of light, but he soon returned, Loke by his side.

"You alright, Lucy?" Loke asked.

"'I'm fine, just a bit cold' she says."

"Well, stay in there, Capricorn and I will keep a look out."

"I also found Pixis," Capricorn said. "He's on his way to find Natsu so he can lead him here."

"'Good thinking Capricorn!' she cheers happily.

"My pleasure."

"So, what now?" Loke asked. "Just wait for the fire brain to get here."

"'If you've got any better ideas, spill it' she says, annoyed."

"I'm just saying, whoever shot the Christina down is probably out there looking for you, staying here isn't smart."

"'But if I go out there I could freeze to death' she points out."

"Why don't we just get you out of here?" Loke questioned.

"'How? By going through the celestial world?' she asks."

"Yes."

"'No! You told me that was only for last resorts,' she states."

"Yeah, well, getting shot out of an air ship kinda qualifies as an emergency, don't you think?"

"'Natsu is on his way. Between his nose and Pixis he'll be able to find us before they can,' she insists."

"They've got a head start on him, Lucy, so I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you on that."

"'If they get here before he does then I'll go through the celestial world. Until then I'm waiting on Natsu' she states."

"Luce-"

"Very well, we'll wait a bit longer, Ms. Lucy," Capricorn cut Loke off.

"Capricorn!"

"Need I remind you-"

His voice got quiet and Lucy was no longer able to hear the two. She curled up into a ball inside the clock and placed a hand over her stomach. She wasn't feeling any pain, no signs of a miscarriage. Still, that was a big fall. Had she not called Aries in time-

She shuddered as the coldness creeped over her and tightened the blankets around herself.

"Please hurry, Natsu…"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

The sun had already risen as Natsu reached the base of Mount Hakobe. He stopped and leaned against his knees to catch his breath. He hadn't stopped running the whole night. His legs were shaking and throbbing. His chest ached from lack of oxygen. His throat was parched. Still he took dee breaths and pushed himself back up. He couldn't stop. His wife was in trouble! And so was his child inside of her. Why was he such and idiot? Why did he not go with her? Forget his motion sickness! He would have been able to tough it out on that thing! Why'd he have to go and wimp out?

"Natsu!" He looked ahead. Two of the Christina's that had volunteered to go with him were waiting at the base of the mountain. Lisanna was racing out of one towards him.

"Have you heard from her?" he asked as his childhood friend approached him.

"No. Eve and Yukino have already started looking for her, though, they said they've almost reached the spot where Christina #5 was attacked."

"Okay," Natsu nodded as he followed her towards the ship.

"Let us be off, Man!" Ichiya cried as he raced back into his ship.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Lisanna asked. "You look exhausted. And with your motion sickness-"

"Screw my motion sickness!" Natsu said as he raced into the control room where Nichiya was already at the controls. "Get me to my wife!"

"Right on," Nichiya called.

The minute they took off Natsu's stomach lurched. He pressed both hands to his mouth and groaned. This was going to suck!

"It's gonna take us a while to get there, why don't you lie down and get some rest?" Lisana asked. "You look like you haven't slept a wink since we set off."

Natsu shook his head and groaned. "I can't go to sleep. I need to be here in case we hear from Lucy."

"Natsu-"

"Thanks for worrying, Lisanna, but you ain't talking me out of this. I'll sleep when I've got my wife back in my arms."

Lisanna sighed. She knew he was serious, albeit a bit sickish. Okay, a lot sickish.

Natsu closed his eyes and groaned as his stomach lurched again. He'd better find a bathroom soon. Despite him not getting to eat dinner last night, he was about to vomit. As he stood and stumbled his way down the hall he saw a flash of light in front of him.

"Pixis!"

"Oh, hey little guy," he waved as he leaned against the wall of the hall and pushed himself along towards the bathroom.

"Pixis!"

"Hey, ain't you Lucy's compass spiri-brgh!" He clutched his mouth to keep himself from hurling everywhere.

"Pixis!"

"Please tell me you're here to tell me where she is."

Pixis bowed his head to show the compas on top of it. It spun several times before pointing in a specific direction. Natsu nodded, looking greener by the minute, and led the spirit back into the control room.

"Hey, this guy knows where Lucy is," he said as he all but collapsed into a groaning heap on the floor.

"Well come forth, Man," Nichiya called. Pixis hopped up to the exceed.

"I'm coming, Lucy," Natsu whispered. "I might be barfing when I get there, but I'm coming."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Here we are!" Levy called. "The magic library!"

"Oh my," Jude gasped. "It's...um...much bigger than I thought it would be."

"Well, this is where all the records of all magic we have are kept, so it would have to be big."

"So...any idea where we'll be starting?" Jude asked.

"Nope!" Levy said brightly as she skipped inside.

"You said you wanted to come along," Pantherlily sighed to Jude as he followed Levy inside.

 _Only so I can try and earn your trust so I can get close to my daughter,_ Jude grumbled to himself as he also stepped inside.

"Okay, I know of one room that has a lot of ancient texts in it, so we can start there," Levy said as she raced ahead, putting her wind reader glasses on as she did so.

"So...you and Lucy are close?" Jude asked.

"Hm. Oh, yeah, I guess you could say we're best friends," Levy answered awkwardly. She'd been so excited about finally reaching the library she'd forgotten about her rather, well, awkward team mate.

"So, um, you could tell me a lot about what she's been up to…"

Levy gulped. "Erm, what would you like to know?"

"Well, anything at this point."

"Okay, um, well, she published a book recently."

"Did she really?" Jude's eyes lit up in pride.

"Oh, yeah. It was a huge hit. That's what she was able to buy the manor with."

"I suppose she and her husband will be moving in there," Jude assumed.

"No, actually. She's turning it into a recovery center."

"A what?"

"A recovery center."

"What for? And why not just move in?"

"It's her way of giving back to the guild. Besides, she and Natsu say it's too big for just the two of them. Well, three of them now. They didn't know she was pregnant when they bought the place."

"Hm. Yes," Jude murmured. "And they've only been married nine months. Seems a bit brash."

"Maybe," Levy shrugged as she pushed the door to the room they were heading for open and stepped inside. She giggled. "Not really sure what we expected with those two."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jude asked.

"Oh," Levy's face grew a bit red and her body got rigid. "Well...erm...they are madly in love with each other. And they, erm, want to show that to each other. But, ehe, well, Natsu's not that good with words so he's got to express his love for Lucy in...um...other ways."

Jude's face paled a little bit. No matter that Lucy was 26 years old. No father wanted to picture their daughter in... _that_...position.

"I just hope he doesn't get too aggressive or demanding with her," he muttered under his breath.

"Oh, I don't think you have to worry about that," Levy said, making Jude blush. He hadn't meant for her to hear that.

"Natsu may be an absolute savage on the battlefield, and a bit of a rambunctious troublemaker, but when it comes to Lucy he's as gentle as a kitten."

Jude arched an eyebrow. He wasn't sure he believed that.

"Oh, don't get me wrong," Levy giggled. "He drives her nuts! Pranking her and anyone else he calls a friend. And like I said, he's the king of Shenanigans. You'll never find a more impulsive little stinker than Natsu. But, gosh golly does he love her! I can't tell you the number of times he's accomplished what most thought impossible just for her. You noticed that big scar he's got on his side?"

"Can't say that I have," Jude answered as he pulled a stack of scrolls off a shelf.

"Well, he got that fighting for her. And then after he got hurt he tied a flag around it and kept going."

"A flag?"

"Don't ask me where he got it from," Levy giggled. "But, yeah, he did."

Jude didn't answer, but brought the scrolls over to a table and unrolled one, taking time to read it. Levy stared at him.

"I know it's probably natural of you to be suspicious of him, but you can take my word for it, Lucy won the jackpot of husbands when she married him." she giggled slightly. "For now, that is. Gajeel and I aren't married yet, so…" she turned back to the shelves.

Jude continued scanning the scrolls for any useful information. His mind wasn't really in it, though. Initially he'd been unimpressed with the pink-haired boy his daughter had married. Having seen what he'd done to that scoundrel spying on them, though...and then hearing this young woman's testimony. While he didn't know Levy very well she seemed like a reasonable and smart girl. He felt he could trust her testimony. The boy was still too wild for his liking, but he was protective, and he did seem to genuinely love his daughter. That he could at least tolerate.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Ms. Lucy, I'm afraid my time is up," Horologium siad before he disappeared, dropping Lucy onto her butt on the icy floor of the cave.

"Ouch!" she cried as she rubbed her sore cheeks. A cold wind blew in from outside, chilling her. She shuddered and pulled her coat tighter around her, making sure to keep her arms around her belly.

"You alright, Lucy?" Loke asked as he raced to her side.

"I think so," Lucy answered as she stood to her feet and began pacing to keep herself warm. I had been hours since they'd been shot down. The cold was continuing to creep past her coats and boots and into her skin. She just hoped keeping her arms around her belly would fend it off from the baby.

 _Where are you, Natsu?_ She though as she began trembling.

"Someone's coming," Capricorn said as he stared outside.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked, hopeful.

Loke peered through the whirling snow. "No," he answered as he emmitted a Regulus light from his hand.

"Lucy, go deeper into the cave," Loke said.

"Who is it?" Lucy asked.

"No time to explain, go!" Loke ordered just as a flame shot through the mouth of the cave. Lucy screamed and ducked the blast. This wasn't one of Natsu's flames. She scrambled back to her feet and began racing deeper inside, arms still around her belly. It was hard to keep her footing. The ground was slick with ice, and there were several icicles she had to dogde. Still, she kept going, hoping that whoever was attacking Capricorn and Loke could handle it.

 _Fwoosh!_

A colorful flame blasted over her head. She turned and looked over her shoulder to find two figures heading her way, and they were not her spirits.

"No," she gasped. They'd gotten though, whoever they were. She stopped and turned around, pulling out her Fleuve D'etoiles. It was all up to her now. Though she was trembling from fear and cold, she would not let anyone take her baby from her. As the first of the figures came into view she cast her whip, snaring him in it. She then tugged it over her head, sending him flying into the ceiling of the cave.

"That should keep him down long enough for me to run, at least," she thought to herself as she cast her whip towards the second, much bigger figure. He caught it effortlessly and jerked on it, pulling her towards him. She hardly had time to react before her neck was caught in his beefy hands and he lifted her into the air.

"So this is the vessel by which the Flames of Tarturus will be reborn," a chillingly familiar voice mused.

Lucy trembled as she stared at the figure in front of her. "Jiemma."

He looked about as he had at the grand magic games. Only his beard had grown, and so had his muscles.

"Still, I suppose many of the greats have such humble rigins as this," Jiemma pondered. He reached up with his other hand and with one jerk ripped Lucy's coat off her. He also ripped the front of her nightgown, exposing her stomach to the frigid winter air.

"Stop that!" she begged as she squirmed to get away from him.

"Hm…" Jiemma murmured. "Looks like we still have a few months before the child's birth," he turned to Lucy. "I guess that means we'll have to accomodate you for a while. Pity, but if that's how it must be."

"No you won't, either," Lucy hissed as she swung her body at his face and kicked him in the jaw. The shock was enough to make him drop her, and she scrambled back to her feet to run off. He caught her quickly, though, and pinned her face to the wall with one hand, and twisting her arm painfully behind her back with the other.

"Insolent worm!" he hissed. "Don't be mistakened. We need you alive, but that's it."

He twisted her arm tigher behind her, causing her to scream in pain.

"Your child may be powerful, but you? You're a weakling. As soon as that baby is born we'll have no use for you. Don't cause us trouble and we might be merciful on you and let you walk away alive..."

He twisted her arm even more, causing her wrist to pop. She screeched in pain.

"Please, stop!" she begged.

"...that is if you survive the birth. Child birth can be a dangerous business. Especially when dealing with a power like this."

He pushed her face deeper into the icy walls, scraping her cheek until it bled.

"Behave and we might be able to heighten your chances of survival. Misbehave, and we'll have to punish you, which will there in weaken you more than you already are."

He wrenched her already throbbing arm once more. The cold bit at her exposed skin, which was everywher but her feet, hands, upper torso, bottom, and lady-bits. Her head was pulsating from pain. Tears stung her eyes. She couldn't get to her keys, Jiemma had ripped those off with the rest of her clothing. Her whip was also out of reach. She'd used up a lot of her magic energy keeping Horologium here for so long, not to mention the cold was diminishing what she had left. There was no way out of this…

"Augh!" Jiemma screamed as he suddenly let go of her. Lucy whirled around to face him and found him staring at his hands, that had burns and boils all over them. Lucy blinked. How had that-

-Natsu!

No, if he had used an attack just then he would have burned her too.

"You!" Jiemma pointed to his comrade. "You're a fire wizard, aren't you? Get her!'

Lucy turned and could now see the face of Jiemma's companion. Totomaru from Phantom Lord. He smiled evilly at her hand pounced, the minute his hands touched her, though, he reeled back and howled in pain. Lucy looked down at herself and saw that she was coated in pink flames. She gasped as she looked at herself. She felt no heat. No burn. But apparently Jiemma and Totomaru had. Glowing across her stomach was a word written in a strange language. It pulsated lightly, as if it were a heat beat, each small thump sending out another wave of flames to cover her belly.

Jiemma chuckled menacingly. "Now this is what I like to see!" he cheered. "Not even born and it's already fighting back!"

 _The baby?_ Lucy though as she stared at her glowing stomach. That had to be what this was though. She was no fire wizard (though Natsu had tried to teach her a few basic spells on several occasions). She certainly wasn't capable of whatever these pink flames were.

It didn't matter, though. Jiemma and Totomaru, for whatever reason, couldn't touch her now. This was her chance! She started to take off.

A loud crack and a sharp pain errupted from her legs. She screamed as her vision blurred. Through the fog, though, she could see Totomaru swinging one of the stones from the cave floor at her left leg. As she tumbled to the ground he lifted it above his head and dropped it onto her right ankle, causing her to scream.

"We may not be able to touch you," Totomaru hissed. "But you and that baby can't keep that spell up forever."

Lucy choked back sobs of pain as she pushed herself, painfully, into a sitting positon.

"So, we'll just wait," Totmaru continued. "Until your magic energy gives out, or until the cold gets to you. Whichever happens first."

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty:**

"We're over the crash sight, Man!" Nichiya called back to his comrades.

"Alright," Natsu gurgled through his illness as he stumbled towards the door. "Let me out."

"What?" Nichiya and Lisanna both shouted.

"Why?" Nichiya asked.

"So I can look for my wife."

"Pixis!" the compass spirit called as if in agreement.

"In that!?" the exceed gestured to the raging storm outside.

"Yeah, in that," Natsu nodded.

"You do realize you could freeze to death?"

"Which is exactly why I'm going, Lucy's somewhere in that. Beside, I'm a fire wizard I'll be fine. And of much better use down there than being sick in here."

"Wait!" Lisanna called as she raced to a closet and pulled out a coat and a backpack. "I'm coming with you."

"Alright!" Natsu smiled in thanks at his old friend.

"You're what?" Nichiya cried.

"The more eyes we've got on the gorund the better," Lisanna answered as she joined Natsu at the door.

"You're both insane!" Nichiya exclaimed as the two walked to the door.

Natsu shrugged. "We're from Fairy Tail, what do you expect?"

"We'll send up a flare once we've found her," Lisanna said before she pressed the button, the door wung open, and they both jumped out. Lisanna changed into one of her bird forms. Even with her wings, though, it was a struggle to make her way safely to the ground. Pixis, too, had trouble flying in a straight line. Natsu just let himself plummet, waiting until he was just above the ground and then used a fire dragon roar to slow his fall.

"Alright, little guy, which way's Lucy?" he asked once all three were on the ground.

"Pixis!" the compass spirit pointed in the correct direction.

"Okay, take us there."

"Pixis. Pixis. Pixis." the little bird chirped as he waddled ahead of the two wizards. Lisanna shuddered as she pulled her coat closer around her. It was freezing! And poor Lucy had been stuck out here for hours now! She turned and looked at Natsu. He had a deep frown on his face. Anyone else would have thought he was angry, but Lisanna had known him long enough to know better. He was worried sick. Sicker than he had been on the ship.

"She's going to be okay, Natsu," Lisanna said over the screaming winds.

Natsu heard her, but didn't reply. He was too focused on following the little compass bird that was moving way too slow for his liking. Even with his abnormally warm body heat he could feel a bit of a chill. He couldn't imagine how cold it was for Lucy. And the baby! He gritted his teeth and pushed on, straining his ears and nose to pick up any sign of her.

Lisanna frowned as she watched him. She desperately hoped everything was going to be okay. It would kill him if it wasn't. It would kill all of them, but Natsu especially.

Natsu suddenly stopped.

Lisanna frowned in confusion as she trotted to his side. "Natsu?"

He had a confused look on his face. He sniffed the air, and his eyes grew wide. His skin blanched. Lisanna gasped. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him look this afraid. Before she could say a word he'd taken off.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Lucy shuddered as she curled herself into as tight a ball as possible, trying to cover herself with as much as possible with the rags that were once her nightgown. Despite being covered in glowing pink flames they were not warming her up at all. Her teeth were chattering uncontrollably. Her body was going numb except for the three places on her legs and right arm that were throbbing incessantly, the pain made all the sharper by the dropping temperatures.

Jiemma and Totomaru still loomed over her, staring her down, waiting for the flames protecting her to go out.

She couldn't stay here. Any longer and she'd pass out from hypothermia, and then who knew what would happen. She tried, once again to push herself onto her feet, but her legs gave out underneath her, sharp daggers of pain racking her entire lower body. She screeched in pain and collapsed back to the icy ground. A small whimper escaped her.

It was no use. Her legs were broken, she couldn't use them for anything. She curled back into a ball, trying to atleast keep her stomach and abdomen warm. He skin was so cold it felt like it was burning. Her head was spinning. Her vision was blurring. She was losing the fight, and quickly.

 _No!_ She told herself as she viciously rubbed her hands against her arms, bumpy from goose pimples. _Gotta stay awake! Can't let them take me! Gotta stay strong. Someone will be here soon. Natsu will be here soon. He's coming. He said he was coming._

Still, the longer she lied there, the two dark guild members staring down at her with impatient scowls on their faces, she began losing hope. It got harder and harder to keep her eyes open.

"This is taking too long," Jiemma muttered above her.

"Well, what do you intend to do about it?" Totomaru asked. "Until those pink flames go away we can't take her anywhere."

"Well, then, let's get rid of them."

"How?"

"With a little persuassion," Jiemma snapped his fingers.

A small explosion went off right under one of Lucy's broken legs. The pain that erupted up her body was blinding. All of her senses went numb. She couldn't even hear herself scream, but she felt it as her whole body jerked with pain. As the initial shock of the pain wore off and her vision came back, she could see that the flames were still coating her, though they were a bit dimmer than before.

"Just as I thought…" Jiemma's voice sounded distant. The cave around her was foggy. She couldn't take it! She was already so weak, another blast like that and she was as good as done for.

Pain overtook her body again, this time originating from her throbbing wrist. This one did not blind or deafen her, so she was able to hear her screams in full. The sound shook the icicles above her, as well as her body. The flames flickered, but did not die. Neither did Lucy's screams.

She was screaming in part because she was in excriciating pain, but she was also terrified, and yet determined. She was not going to let them beat her. She had to hold on.

 _Just a little longer. Just a little longer._ She told herself as her throat grew sore.

"Shut up," Jiemma placed his foot in her face, muffling her cries. He raised his hand to snap again. Lucy closed her eyes, three tears and a whimper escaping her as she braced herself.

Another cry rang through the cave. Lucy slowly one eye and gazed down the cave. Coming from the direction of the entrance was a glowing red light.

"What is-" Jiemma began to ask. Before he could finish, though the scream grew louder and a person sized fire ball raced towards him. It struck Jiemma in the chest, sending him flying backwards, before taking a sharp left and punching Totomaru into the ceiling of the cave. The flames died down a bit, and revealed-

"Natsu…" Lucy sighed weakly before her stregnth gave out completely and everything around her went black.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted as he knealt down next to her. She was covered from head to toe in bruises. A long gash marred her right cheek bone. Her right arm and right ankle were swollen and black. Her left leg was bent at an odd angle. She was dressed in nothing but hiking boots and the remnants of a night gown that left everything below her chest exposed. Had it not been for her panties she would have been completely naked down below. Strangest of all, though, was a pink flame covering her.

Natsu grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into his lap. The minute he touched her the flames disappeared, and he gasped. Despite being covered in fire she was ice cold. He ripped his scarf off his neck and wrapped it around hers before shedding his top and wrapping her in it. As he fasten the buttons he placed his ear against her abdomen.

A light " _tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump,"_ greeted him. He let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Ergh."

Natsu looked behind him to see Jiemma stumbling to his feet. He gritted his teeth and growled. They did this to her! They didn't just try and kidnap her, they tortured her! His vision began to double along with his anger. As his rage intensified he felt a slight pang, like someone scratching him from the inside out caused him to gasp. He placed a hand over his chest.

"Not yet," he grumbled as he stood to his feet and ignited a flame in both hands, standing in between Jiemma and Lucy. Totomaru also began stumbling to his feet.

"Natsu!" Lisanna's voice came from behind. Natsu didn't turn, he kept his eyes faced on the enemy in front of him. He was able to hear once she got close, though, because she let out a loud gasp at the sight of Lucy.

"Lisanna, get Lucy back to the Christina."

"What are yo-"

"No time, just go!" he shouted as he felt the same scratching and clawing sensation inside him. _Not yet!_

Lisanna frowned, worried, at Natsu, but leaned down, hauled Lucy over her shoulders and head back towards the mouth of the cave. She stopped to pick up Lucy's keys and whip before running (as well as she could while carrying Lucy) back out of the cave.

"Get back here, you!" Jiemma shouted.

"Fire Dragon, Exploding Flame!"

Two helixes of fire burst from his palm. Totomaru smiled, and waved his hand as if to dismiss the flames, but they kept coming. His eyes grew wide.

"What? Why isn't my pyrokinesis working!" he shouted before the helixes hit him, sending Totomaru flying backwards. Jiemma held out his arms to black the blow, but even he was pushed back about five steps. Natsu finished the attack, and strained to listen for Lisanna's footsteps. The clawing came at his chest. _No, they're not out yet! Just a little longer!_

Jiemma stood up and brushed himself off. "Is that the best you can do?"

"Fire Dragon's Fist!" Natsu screamed as he darted towards the bigger man, overwhelming him with a barrage of fire punches that eventually knocked Jiemma on his back.

"Rainbow flame!" Totomaru shouted as he sent a multicolored flame towards Natsu, who simply inhaled it and swallowed it down.

"Whoa," he said as he felt a jolt go through his body. "That fire's got some pep to it," he smiled evilly at the other two men. "Good."

He strained to listen again. Yes! They were out of the cave and safe. The scratching and clawing came at his chest again.

 _Alright, big guy, you can come out._

"So you're the other half of the equation," Jiemma stated as he stood back up. "You shouldn't have come here. We were considering giving your wife back to you once we got the child, but now? Now we'll have to punish you."

It was then Natsu did something neither Jiemma nor Totomaru were expecting. He laughed.

"Wha-" Jiemma stuttered.

"Is that so?" Natsu asked. "Well, in that case…"

Jiemma and Totomaru began growing uneasy as Natsu's voice began to deepen.

"...I got someone I'd like you to meet…"

A black magic circle formed on the ground around Natsu and enveloped him in black mist.

"...normally I try to keep this bad boy locked up. But in your case I'm willing to make an exception!" His voice was as deep as a lion's growl now. The black mist disappeared, and standing before Jiemma and Totomaru was a creature with twisted horns coming from his head, long, talon like arms, and scaly wings sprouting from his back.

"Huh?" Jiemma asked.

"OH CRA-" Totmaru didn't even have time to finish his exclamation before a ferocious wall of fire rushed towards them. All the ice in the cave popped and fizzled into nonexistance, creating a concussive sound that deafened the two dark guild members as the flames engulfed them, charring their skin and cinging their hair and clothing. Even Totomaru, an experienced and accomplished fire wizard, let out a cry of pain as the heat burned him. Without the support of the ice, the worn rock walls of the cave began to collapse, burying the three inhabitants.

With an earpiercing roar the creature broke out of the rubble, wings already spread so it could dart towards where the other two men were buried. It reach in and pulled each of them out with one hand.

"No you don't!" it growled. "I ain't letting you two go out that easily!"

Jets of yellow flames burst from it's palms sending both men flying sky high. Totomaru was shrieking at the top of his lungs.

"I thought you were dead! I thought when the book disappeared it-"

"Didn't do anything that a little take-over magic couldn't fix!" the creature shouted as it flew up to him and raked it's claws over his chest, leaving four bleeding gashes. Totomaru didn't even have time to groan in agony before he was kicked down to the ground, and train of yellow fire following after him, which promptly exploded on top of him the minute they both touched ground.

 _Crack-crack-crack-BOOM!_

And explosion went of inbetween the creatures wings.

Jiemma, now standing, albeit a bit wobbily on the ground smiled in pride as the creature reared back in pain before being covered by a cloud of smoke.

"That ought to-WHAT!"

The creature burst through the smoke and charged down from the air, straight towards him. He set off another explosion, but the thing didn't even slow down until it had raked it's claws across Jiemma's face with so much force that it not only ripped through his skin, but it sent him flying at least five feet away from where he'd been standing. Jiemma groaned as he put a hand to his face, and it instantly became sticky with blood.

"You clearly don't know who you're dealing with," the creature hissed in a voice so deep and terrifying that even Jiemma, who never showed any signs of weakness or fear, felt a small shudder go down his spine as it stalked towards him.

"I'm E.N.D. The monster created specifically to kill Zeref. Your little fireworks ain't gonna hurt me."

E.N.D. grabbed Jiemma by the throat and held him above his head.

"But I can only imagine what it must have done to my wife!" the devil bellowed as it slammed Jiemma onto the ground with so much force that it actually created a crater around them. Jiemma's ears began to ring. His visions disappeared for a moment. He felt the sticky a warm tirickle of blood starting to ooze out of his nose and ears. His vision, after much blinking and concentration, came back. He only had time to gasp at the terrifying sight before him. E.N.D. held a helix, no, a cyclone of fire above his head that he quickly unleashed upon Jiemma, drilling him deeper into the ground, digging him into a Jiemma sized crater. For about two seconds. The heat not only destroyed the snow around him instantly, but it weakened the ice walls of his newly dug crater, causing them to crash in, burying him alive in a miniature avalanche.

E.N.D nodded in satisfaction at his work, then turned and darted back over to where Totomaru lay groaning and shouting in pain. He grabbed the trembling man by the scruff of his shirt inbetween two claws and lifted him in the air.

"Please, no, don't kill me!" Totomaru begged, raising one hand, and just one. E.N.D. turned to look where the other should have been, but only saw a smoldering stump. He smirked. Good.

"Please, don't kill me! I'm sorry! I wasn't-I didn't-I'm so-"

"Oh," E.N.D. said as he silened the trembling foe by placing a claw at his throat. "I'm not gonna kill you. I want you alive. So you can go back and tell your little friends that this-" he pricked his neck just enough to release a small trickle of blood. "-is what happens when you come after my family. They still wanna try and get my baby I'll be waiting, and I won't go easy on you next time."

He threw Totomaru into the snow as roughly as he could. "Now get out of here before I change my mind."

The devil spread his wings and took off into the air, leaving Totomaru writihing in pain and fear. He flew until he saw the Christina he and Lisanna had come in, then raced to the door, pushed the button, and let himself inside.

"AUGH!" Nichiya screamed at the sight of him and stumbled back.

"What is it?" Lisanna asked as she ran into the main room, then gasped and jumped back. "Natsu?"

A black light engulfed E.N.D., turning him back to Natsu who then collapsed into the floor, clutching his mouth and stomach as he groaned.

"Ugh! Where's Wendy when you need her?"

Lisanna stormed up to her old friend, hands on her hips. "You let E.N.D. out!? Do you have any idea how dangerous that can be!?"

"Yeah, I do, that's why I wanted you and Lucy to get out of there," Natsu answered as he pushed himself back onto his feet. "Where's Lucy?"

"What if you lost control!" Lisanna fumed. "Mira said it's still 50/50-"

"That's why I had to let him out."

"Huh?"

Natsu sighed, swallowed back a vomit, and began to explain. "E.N.D. was gonna come out one way or another-"

"And how do you figure-"

"You saw what they did to Lucy! Get me that pissed off and the big guy's bound to come looking for blood! If I had kept trying to hold him back he would have forced his way out and I would have lost control, but because I let him out I was able to stay on top of it. Make sense?"

Lisanna sighed, still aggravated. "I guess."

"Good. Now where's Lucy?"

"Back here," Lisanna lead him down the hall to a bedroom. Lucy was still dressed in her tattered nightgown. His top and scarf were folded on the table next to her. Her wounds had been cleaned and bound in bandages, though she still looked a bit pale and blue.

"I've managed to set all the broken bones and clean up the gashes," Lisanna explained. "But she's still really cold and she hasn't woken up.

Natsu nodded, swallowed back another vomit, and climbed into the bed next to Lucy. He rolled her over onto his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Lisanna, seeing what he was doing, pulled out a stack of blankets and threw them ontop of the couple. As soon as they were tucked in, she left, but came back quickly with a bucket that she set next to the bed.

"Just in case," she told Natsu, who was looking greener by the minute. He nodded in thanks as she left again, closing the door behind her. Once she was gone her carefully removed what was left of her nightgown so that her chilled skin could lay directly against his overly warm chest. He wrapped his arms around her again, holding her as close as he could without fear of aggravating her injuries.

The exhaustion of not sleeping the night before, running for hours on end, fighting two dark guildsmen, and letting E.N.D. out, finally hit him. His eyelids grew heavy as lead as he felt his body heat pass into his wife, who, though injured, was now safe in his arms. And he wasn't going to let her leave any time soon.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"GRAUGH!"

The cry broke out over Mount Hakobe as Jiemma's head popped out of the snow and he gasped for breath. He was covered in burns and brusies, and his face was caked in blood. Still he stood to his feet and looked about. Nothing. Everyone had left.

"Well played, fairy boy," he hissed. "Well played."

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One:**

"So he still has the ability to access E.N.D.," Ivan said as he storked his beard.

"That is unexpected," Jose nodded from where he sat across the room from his reluctant comrade. The two men, seated in their looming thrones, turned back to Totomaru, who was seated in the middle of the room, having his wounds tended to by two healers.

"Yes," the fire wizard nodded, frowing at his bandages stub. "Never thought I'd lose a limb to the element I get my magic is from."

"Yes, that must be embarrassing," Ivan grinned horribly at the wounded fire wizard before turning back to Jose. "It seems getting this child is going to be harder than we first thought."

"Hm, yes," Jose nodded. "If he was powerful enough to take out Jiemma, then he-"

The door opened and in stumbled Jiemma. "Powerful enough to take me out, don't insult me."

"B-b-but...you were buried!" Totomaru exclaimed. I saw him.

"Don't talk to me!" Jiemma snapped. "You let that fly take your arm, I have no interest in such a pathetic excuse for a wizard."

"Fly? That was E.N.D.! And didn't he beat you too?"

"Nonsense, he simply left before the battle could be completed," Jiemma answered as he took his seat inbetween Jose and Ivan.

"Now, now, Jiemma, let's not be hard on the poor boy," Jose said."From where I'm sitting you're both lucky to be alive right now."

"That pink-haired punk is the one lucky to be alive," Jiemma countered. "I should have finished him quickly, I won't make that mistake again."

"Let's not go head hunting yet, shall we? After all, we still have a goal to achieve," Ivan said.

The door to the throne room opened and a man with bandages over his eyes came in. "Masters, there have been reports from some of the scouts of a group of Fairy Tail Wizards gathering a few miles from here. What should we do?"

"What!" Jiemma thundered. "Those pests are-"

"Let them come," Ivan cut him off.

"What!" Jiemma shouted.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Jiemma here, Ivan, we want them to come here?" Jose asked.

"Well, they said it's only a few wizards," Ivan answered.

"Still, we want them to come here?" Jose repeated.

"Of course!" Ivan exclaimed. "Appears to me that what we need is a little bit of leverage. Who in their right mind would not exchange one person in order to save the lives of a dozen?"

"Oh…" Jose's eyes lit up as he caught onto what Ivan was planning.

"They won't go for it," Jiemma stated. "Those Fairies are all about loyalty and family. They'll never turn one of their own over to us."

"Of course not," Ivan agreed. "Not at first. Which means they'll come to save their captured breathern. And when they do we'll simply capture more of them...kill off a few of the ones we already had...send some images of their bretheren being tortured. They'll send another rescuse party and we'll do the same thing. Eventually they'll have no choice but to turn her over. Either that or they'll be so low on numbers we can just take her."

"Hm…" Jose stroked his chin. "It does seem like a good idea."

"I don't like it," Jiemma muttered. "It's too simple. They'll catch on."

"Oh, you give them too much credit!" Ivan waved his hand.

"And you don't give them enough!"

"I used to be in this guild. I think if anyone is going to be able to predict what they'll do, it would be me," Ivan insisted. "Even if they are smart enough to catch onto our game, which they are not, they're too stubborn and bone headed to try and negotiate with us."

"You say that, but I still think you're underestimating them," Jiemma grumbled. "They were able to best my guild in the grand magic games, and they defeated me once I'd joined Tartaros, and the-"

"Well, maybe that's more of a reflection on you than them," Ivan stated, causing Jiemma to angirly jump to his feet.

"What was that!?"

"Don't overdo yourself. You've already been rotisseried today, don't make me shred you too."

"Gentlemen, please," Jose intervened. "We're all on the same side here. And while I may not be 100% on board with Ivan's plan, I do think having a few hostages could be to our advantage, so let's just go with that for now."

Jiemma crossed his arms and sat back down. "Very well."

"Glad we can agree on something," Ivan muttered. "Now to come up with an ambush plan..."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

 _Floating away._

 _She was floating away._

 _Not from any shore or island, though. And not through water._

 _She was floating away from existence._

 _Floating through the inifinity clock._

 _Everyone stood outside, crying, screaming for her. But there was nothing she could do. She was simply going to disappear…_

 _...dead._

 _She was already dead._

 _Not HER her, but her future self. Her future was dead. And there was nothing she could do about it. She was simply going to disappear…_

 _...Jiemma. Totomaru. They were going to take her. They were going to torture her until her baby was born, and then they'd take her daughter from her…_

 _...she watched as they roughly yanked the child from her arms. Her little girl, gone, before she could even see her face. And there was nothing she could do. She had no stregnth to fight. They'd leave her hear to die._

 _She'd simply disappear…_

 _...disappear from her child's life…_

 _...disappear from existence…_

 _...disappear into the cold…_

 _...the cold…_

 _...it was disappearing…_

 _...there was a warmth surrounding her…_

 _...holding her…_

 _...and a voice…_

 _...a voice calling her name…_

…" _Lucy,"..._

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Lucy slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry from the tears that were streaming down her face. Though she couldn't see, she could still feel and hear. Feel someone holding her, and hear a soft and familiar voice whispering:

"Sh. Sh. It's okay."

"Na...Natsu?" she asked weakly as she blinked to clear her eyes.

"I'm right here," he answered as his arms tightened around her. "I've got you, Luce. You're safe."

She lifted her head and found his onyx eyes staring down at her in a misture of concern and adoration. He smiled and let out a small sigh of relief at seeing her awake.

"How you feeling?" he asked.

"Um…" Lucy blinked as she looked about. They were in a bright green room, lying on a bed, Natsu was flat on his back, and she was ontop of him. What had happened to her? Where was she? Why-

Why were she and Natsu both half naked!? (Granted this wasn't the first time they'd woken up like this, but something told her that whatever had lead to them getting into the position had not been... _that.)_

Suddenly it all came back to her.

Jiemma.

Totomaru.

Being pressed against a wall until her face bled.

Her wrist being twisted until it snapped.

The pink flames.

Her legs being crushed under rocks.

Her fading away from the cold, fighting just to stay awaked long enough for someone to find her.

She shuddered and a small whimper escaped her throat at the memories. A few of the leftover tears from her nightmare took their chance to fall.

"Hey," Natsu cupped the uninjured side of her face in one of his hands, using the other to push himself into a more upward position. He drew her face closer to his, leaning his forehead against hers, gently wiping her tears away with his thumb as he leaned against his propped up elbow.

"They're not coming back, Luce. You're safe."

She nodded slowly as she placed her good hand on top of his.

"The baby's fine, too," Natsu continued as he leaned forward, taking a top (his top, actually) off a small table next to the bed and putting it over her shoulders. "I checked when I found you. Her heart's still beating. She's fine."

"You can hear her heartbeat?" Lucy asked, eyes brightening as she slipped her arms into the sleeves.

"Why do you sound so surprised? I'm a dragon slayer, I can hear anything," he answered as he buttoned the top up.

"Why wouldn't you tell me, though?" Lucy questioned. "Is that what you've been doing when you put your face on my stomach? Listen to her heartbeat?"

"Yeah," Natsu answered, taking his scarf off the table and starting to place it around her neck.

"Why didn't you say so?" Lucy pouted, holding out a hand to stop him from tying the scarf around her neck. She took it from him and began winding around his neck.

Natsu couldn't help but chuckle at her as he shrugged. "I dunno. I guess it was just sort of my own little thing with the baby."

Lucy rolled her eyes and shook her head, tying the scarf off around his neck. "Dork."

Natsu gently set his hand under her chin tilting her face back towards him so he could kiss her lips. She sighed as she reciporicated, burying her good hand into his hair. He moved his hand from her chin to her face where he gently pushed her hair behind her ear. He then cradled the back of her head and gently lowered himself back onto his back so he could free his other arm to wrap around her waist, holding her close against him. Lucy sighed as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss. What she got in response was a nibble on her bottom lip and a quick flip onto her back. Natsu, now on top, try to deepen the kiss even further, a soft moan emitting from his throat when she allowed him.

The worry for the other's safety. The fear of losing each other. The dread of the worse coming to pass. It all began to slowly disappear with each luxurious second they were bound in each other's embrace. Only the desperation to be with the other remained. Breaths, moans, gasps mixing together as they whispered each others names into the kiss. They were forced to break apart for air, both panting as they leaned their foreheads together.

"How you feeling?" Natsu asked after a moment of silence.

"I...well, everything hurts," Lucy answered.

"Yeah?" Natsu's eyes darkened in concern. "I'm sorry, Luce."

"Why are you apologizing?" Lucy asked. "You saved me."

"I never should have left you," Natsu argued. "If I had just stayed with you then this would have never happened. You wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"You don't know that," Lucy insisted. "We were ambushed. None of us expected them to find Christina #5. It has a freaking cloaking device! You were doing what you were supposed to be doing, tryi-"

"No, what I should have been doing was taking care of you," Natsu countered.

"Natsu-"

"I shouldn't have just trusted someone else to keep an eye on you. I'm your husband. That's my job!" He turned his back to her and stared at the wall in front of him him, fists clenched. "I had a feeling something was going to go wrong, but I still let you go without me. I-"

"This isn't your fault, Natsu," Lucy sat up and scooted up behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest. "Besides, I'll be fine now, thanks to you. You saved me. Again. Like you always do."

"But you're still hurt," he said through clenched teeth.

"I'll be fine. Broken bones and bruises heal. Besides, I'll be I'm not as hurt as Jiemma and Totomaru are."

"Well one no longer has an arm and the other's dead, so…"

"There, see. You saved me and avenged me in one go," Lucy kissed his cheek. "You took care of it."

The smallest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Natsu's mouth.

"Kinda surprised you didn't kill both of them."

"Well, I had to let one of them go so they could tell the rest of 'em what will happen if they come after my girls."

"And you planned ahead? You are on fire today, babe!"

"What are you talking about, I'm always on fire," Natsu smirked.

"Don't I know it," Lucy smiled, glad to see that mischievious grin back on his face.

"So, tell me," Natsu said as he turned around so that he was facing her, lis legs crossed. "Where's it hurt, Luce?"

Lucy held up her bandage wrist and pointed to it. "Here."

Natsu cradled her hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently.

"Here," she pointed to the bandage on her right cheek. He leaned forward and planted a small kiss onto it.

"Here," she pointed to a bruise on the left side of her face, where Jiemma had squeezed her face against the cave wall. Natsu cradled her chin in his hand and tilted her face to the side. He could see a bruise in the shape of a hand print on her cheek. He gritted his teeth in anger, but forced himself to let it go so he could press five small kisses over where the fingers of the print were.

"Where else?" he asked.

Lucy smirked before pointing to her lips. "Here."

Natsu smirked in return before fulfilling her wish. This kiss wasn't as sloppy or out-of-control as their earlier one had been. It was tender, gentle. Rather than tossing her onto her back and tackling her mouth with his, Natsu cupped Lucy's face in both his hand and gently brushed his lips against hers.

"Where else?" he asked, his mouth only a fraction of an inch away from hers.

"Here?" she pointed to her neck, just below her ear. He gently took her hand in his, mocing it away so he could press his lips against the indicated place.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were lying to me…" he stated in a deep voice, his breath hot on her skin.

"Oh?" she asked coyly.

"Where else?"

"Oh, I'm not sure you got that last one."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you might want to try again."

"Alright then," he chuckled before biting the same spot he'd just kissed, casuing Lucy to gasp.

"You're supposed to be helping my bruises feel better, not making more of them!" she scolded playfully.

"You complaining?"

"No fair using my own line agianst me!"

"Well, are you?"

"N...no…"

"Didn't think so," he began nibbling on her neck again, casuign her to let out a half-hissing half-moaning sound. He wasn't sure how to define it, but holy smokes did hearing it turn him on. It was a sign he was on the right track. He gently pushed her onto her back and gripped her hips tightly in his hands.

"N...Natsu?"

"Hm?"

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" he breathed into her ear, causing her to shiver.

"You...you do realize I have three broken bones, right?"

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle," he assured her as he nibbled on her ear.

A knock came at the door of the room they were in.

"Seriously?" Natsu grumbled. "What's a guy gotta do to get some uninterrupted time with his wife around here?"

Lucy covered her mouth to hold back a laugh at her husband's annoyance as she held a finger to her mouth to signal for him to be quiet. Natsu obeyed, listening to see who was at the door.

"She must still be asleep," he heard Lisanna say.

"We've been landed for thrity minutes, now," Elfman's voice answered. "Is she okay?"

"Considering she has three broken bones, nearly died of hypothermia, and didn't sleep a wink last night...no, she's not," Evergreen's voice replied.

"This is my-"

"It's not your fault!" Lisanna snapped. "We were ambushed! We were all caught off guard. Besides, they're probably just tired. Like Evergreen said, neither of them slept any last night. We should let them rest."

"Yeah, okay," Elfman grumbled as their footsteps descended down the hall.

"I think they're gone," he whispered to Lucy.

"Wait, so are we on a Christina, how are you not throwing up everywhere?"

"We're not moving right now, we landed outside the forest, thank Mavis!" Natsu replied.

Lucy nodded a let out a small yawn. "They were right about one thing, though, I am pretty tired."

"Yeah," Natsu replied, more than a little bit annoyed. So much for what he'd been thinking about earlier.

"Sorry, love, I'll make it up to y-"

"Don't apologize. It's fine. Probably wasn't a good idea since you're hurt anyways." Though, if he was being honest, he was pretty tired too.

"It was pretty tempting, though," Lucy sighed as she laid her head not he pillow.

"You mean I'm not always tempting?" Natsu asked playfully. She swatted him with the pillow. He laughed and pulled the blankets back, then tucked them both in. Lucy laid on her side, nustling her back into his chest as he spooned her from behind, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"I love you," he whsipered.

"I love you, too," Lucy smiled.

Natsu turned to nestle his head against the pillow, when he noticed something on the table next to the bed. Apparently Lucy's things had been hidden under his shirt and scarf. The whip and keys weren't much of a surprise to him. What was, though, was the notepad sticking out of her key pack.

"What's this?" he asked as he reached over to grab it.

"Hm?" Lucy opened one eye. "Oh, that? I was looking up baby names before I got, well, you know."

"Oh, yeah?" Natsu's eyebrows raised in interst as he opened it and began reading through the list of names scrawled on the page.

"Yeah," Lucy replied as she closed her eyes back. A moment of silence fell over the two before Natsu reached over and set the note pad back on the table.

"Well?" Lucy asked in a soft, tired voice.

"I like Nashi," he answered, wrapping his arms around her waist, setting one palm over her stomach.

"You just like it because it sounds like Natsu," Lucy teased.

"So the same reason you like it?"

"Okay, you got me," Lucy giggled before she let out a yawn.

"So, Nashi it is?" Natsu asked.

Lucy nodded. "Nashi it is. Now for a middl-"

"Lucy."

"Yes? What is it?" Lucy turned to face him.

"No, I mean 'Lucy' as the middle name," Natsu explained.

"What?" Lucy's eyes widened in surprise, despite her being very tired.

"Well, she's got a first name that sounds like mine, why not give her your name as the middle one?"

Lucy smiled. She liked that idea, either that or she was just too tired to argue at this point.

"Okay," she yawned as she nuzzled closer against him. "We'll go with tha..."

Natsu smiled as he watched her sleep. He pressed another kiss to her cheek, then looked down at her abdomen that was guarded by his hands.

"Nashi Lucy Dragneel. Hope you like your name, baby girl. I know I do."

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two:**

Mirajane hummed to herself as she stirred at the stew sitting over the campfire, crickets chirping in the dark behind her. It had been about a week since the Christina carrying Lucy had been attacked. Since then there'd hardly been any kind of activity reminiscent of a dark guild. At least they still had Sol who supposedly was showing them the way to their headquarters. Mira looked over her shoulder and frowned at the Earth Wizard as he sat in one of Freed's boundaries, which was floating a few feet of the ground so he couldn't access the earth below it. Gajeel and Juvia were guarding him.

"Such a pity," Sol clicked his tongue. "You two were once the pride of Phantom Lord. Now look at you both. Flunkies for the fairies!"

"We ain't nobody's flunkies," Gajeel muttered. "But what about you? Do you really think Jose care about you."

"I'm not speaking about this with you," Sol insisted.

"You should speak about it with someone, though," Juvia said in a concerned voice.

"And why is that?" Sol demanded.

"You shouldn't be forced to do stuff like this, Sol," Juvia answered.

"Your guild should be looking out for you," Gajeel added. "Not sending you out to get caught and then never coming to look for you when you do."

"I already told you I'm not talking about this with you," Sol shouted. "Especially not you," he pointed at Juvia. "Look at you! Once one of the elemental four. How low you've sunk you pathetic excuse of a-Oh! Cold! Cold! Cold!"

The boundary Sol was kept in began to freeze over, incasing the box in a sheet of ice.

"I think you need to cool off a bit," Gray said as he swaggered up and draped his arms over Juvia's shoulder.

"Oh, yes, Juvia's new beau! I should have known you'd intervene," Sol shuddered.

"Husband, not beau. And definately not new," Gray muttered.

Mirajane shook her head as she went back to her stirring. A crackling noise brough her attention back to the camp. Farrah and Laxus stood at the edge of camp. The little girl's brows were furrowed in deep concentration as a tiny lightning bolt formed between her palms. She let it cackle for a little while before sending it to Laxus who caught it effortlessly in his palm.

"You're getting good at that," Laxus praised the child. For the first time since they'd found her she smiled. Mirajane couldn't help but grin as she felt her heart grow warm. Laxus and Farrah had become quick friends ever since he'd given her the first lightning magic lesson. It had gotten to the point that even while travelling during the day Farrah would make sure to stay right on Laxus' trail, hiding in his shadow. If she got too tired he'd make sure to slow down. Today he'd even gone so far as to set her on his shoulders.

Mirajane smiled at the memory as she called "Dinner's ready!"

Everyone began crowding around the campfire. Laxus once again set Farrah on his shoulders as he carried her to dinner. He set her down once they reached the campfire, and the little girl surprised Mirajane by running towards her and climbing up into her lap.

"Can I help?" Farrah asked.

"Sure," Mirajane smiled as she set the little girl's hand against the ladel and let her "help" her spoon out the stew into bowls.

"Thanks, Farrah," Wendy smiled as she took her nearly overflowing bowl from Mirajane. She brought it to where Carla and Happy were waiting with two smaller bowls that she dunked into hers to share with them. All of Lamia Scale's wizards came through next and formed a small circle behind Wendy and the Exceeds. Lyon was barely listening to the conversation as he sent longing glances to Juvia, catching Gray's ire when he passed back by to bring Juvia her dinner. He then stayed by his wife's side, shooting glares in Lyon's direction.

Rogue came through next. The shadow dragon slayer smiled and nodded as she stood to walk to Laxus' side, who was watching his wife and the child with a soft smile on his face.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you two were getting attached to little Farrah," he said.

"Tch," Laxus crossed his arms and turned away. "Just trying to help the kid out, that's all. You'd do the same thing."

"Hm," Rogue nodded, watching as Farrah accidently pilled some stew on Gajeel's shirt. She whimpered and apologized, but Gajeel just chuckled and patted her head.

"Don't sweat it. I've had worse thrown at me," he said.

"See, it's okay. Accidents happen," Mirajane hugged the little girl to comfort her.

Rogue watched them, then turned back to Laxus. "I can't help but wonder…"

"Wonder what?" Laxus asked, eyebrow raised.

"Now that the dragons are gone, how will dragon slayer magic continue?"

"What's got you thinking about that all of a sudden?" Laxus raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"First generation dragon slayers were the adopted children of dragons. Orphans, chosen by fate to learn dragon slayer magic. Now, years later, and orphan has stumbled into the presence of a dragon slayer wizard and has begun to learn his magic. Just seems a bit odd, doesn't it?" Rogue looked up at Laxus with a sly smile on his face.

"I wasn't teaching her dragon slayer magic," Laxus sighed. "Just a few basic lightning spells, that's all."

"But you could," Rogue said.

"Yeah, I could, so what about it?"

"Aren't you going to? Afterall she's your pupil now, isn't she?"

"I was just trying to give her some speels she could use to defend herself. Make her feel better. Safer."

"But why stop there? Afterall, Farrah doesn't have a family or home to go to anymore," Rogue pointed out.

Laxus hung his head. "Yeah, I know. That's why we're going to bring her back to Fairy Tail once we-"

"And what then? No doubt you'll keep teaching her your magic, right?"

"If that's what she wants."

"And why wouldn't she want that?" Rogue asked. "In her darkest hour you were the one to give her stregnth. To show her how to fight for herself. Of course she'll want to keep learning under you."

"You're making me sound like I'm some sort of super hero," Laxus mumbled.

"To her you are," Rogue said.

"What are you trying to do here, exactly, shadow boy?"

"I'm just trying to see if you're aware of the impact you've had in her life," Rogue said. "And to make sure you don't take it lightly."

"What do you mean by that?" Laxus raised an eyebrow.

Rogue sighed sadly. "When the dragons left us, though it was for the best of all mankind, it hurt. It still hurts. Farrah's lost enough as is. I don't want her to lose you too."

"What do you think I'm going to do? Dump Farrah on the guild and be done with her?" Laxus demanded from Rogue.

"Not intentionally."

"What?"

Rogue sighed. "You got your magic from a lacrima. That doesn't make you less of a dragon slayer than the rest of us, but it does make things a bit different. You didn't have to go through losing your teacher and parent. You can't understand what that pain is like. Which is why I'm telling you, though you may not have meant it, you've put yourself into a powerful position in Farrah's life. You may have thought you were just doing her a favor by teaching her a few of your basic spells. But instead you stepped into a void left empty by her parents death. If you were to just dismiss her as another one of Fairy Tail's orphans upon your return, you'd empty that void once more."

"You telling me this because you're worried about dragon slayer magic becoming lost, or because you're worried about Farrah?" Laxus asked, eyes narrowed.

Rogue chuckled. "A bit of both if I'm being honest."

Laxus sighed. "If Farrah still wants me to teach her lightning magic when we get back to the guild I will. Maybe I'll even throw in a bit of dragon slayer magic on top, but only if she wants to. That'll be her choice. I won't make it for her."

"Fair enough," Rogue nodded.

Niether of the men had noticed Wendy, Carla, and Happy listening to them as they sat and ate their stew a few feet away.

"You really think Farrah will become a dragon slayer?" Wendy asked excitedly.

"Maybe," Carla shrugged. "What would we classify that as? A fourth generation?"

"I can't believe Natsu left me!" Happy whined, arms crossed.

Carla sighed. "For the last time, he didn't leave you. His wife was in trouble, he had to get to her as soon as possible. It's not his fault you're too deep of a sleeper to wake up when Hibiki called."

"He could have at least thrown me on his back or something, though," Happy whined.

"He probably didn't think about it because he was worried," Wendy tried to calm the blue exceed down.

"Well, now I'm worried! What's he gonna do without me there to keep an eye on him!"

"Honestly, what am I going to do with you?" Carla sighed as she sipped on her stew. She stopped mid gulp, and her ears perked up.

"Did you hear that?" she asked.

"Aye," Happy nodded.

"It came from that way," Wendy pointed just as a distinct-

 _Crack. Crack._

Wendy jumped to her feet. "Sky dragon-"

 _BOOM!_ filled the air. The two exceeds and the dragon slayer were blown onto their backs.

"Wendy!" Carla cried as she looked about for her friend. Wendy lay flat on her back, eyes closed. "Wendy!"

Happy reached her two steps before Carla did.

"She's out cold!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, dear, Wendy!"

 _Crack. Crack. Crack. BOOM!_

Another explosion rang out. Farrah screamed in fear.

"The bad people! They're back!"

"Carla, get Wendy out, I'm getting the kid," Happy said as he spread his wings.

"Oh, Happy, do be careful," Carla called.

"Aye!" Happy answered as he flew towards Farrah's screaming voice. Smoke from the explosion blinded him, and he squinted to see ahead of himself. Finally he came into the clear, and saw Mirajane in her Sitri form, standing over the cowering a crying Farrah.

"Get her out of here," Mirajane ordered to Happy.

"Aye, sir!" Happy cheered, wrapping his arms around Farrah and flying off with her. He found Carla and Wendy hiding in a tree.

"Is she okay?" Happy asked as he landed with Farrah.

"I don't know," Carla said.

"How come we weren't knocked out with her?"

"She must have cast a spell to protect us before the explosion hit."

The two exceeds turned back to the camp. It was covered in fire and smoke. Everyone from Lamia scale had been knocked unconcious along with Wendy.

...but there was no one to fight.

"Wait? Where's the bad guy?" Happy asked.

"Strange…" Carla muttered. "If we weren't under attack then how-"

As the smoke cleared, a lone figure appeared, his eyes covered in bandages, tears streaming down his face.

"Who are you!?" Erza demanded, sword pointed.

"Oh, Aria, about time!" Sol called from where he was still trapped in Freed's boundary.

"Aria?" Juvia gasped.

"This can't be good," Gajeel murmured.

"Aria?" Happy asked.

"You know him?" Carla asked.

"He used to be a part of Phantom Lord. He has this crazy spell that can take away people's magic energy!"

"What!?"

"It's...it's just so sad!" the newcomer cried as he raised his hands.

"He's gonna cast it!" Happy shouted.

Gajeel and Juvia both broke away from the boundary they'd been guarding and took off runing. Juvia grabbed Gray, who had still been standing beside her, by the hand as she sprinted off.

"Where are you-?" Mirajane stepped infront of them to ask, but Gajeel grabbed her by the waist, threw her over his shoulder, and kept running.

"Move, you idiots! Run!" he shouted.

"Guys, c'mon, let's go!" Happy shouted as he grabbed Farrah by the shoulders. "He's gonna steal all out magic energy!"

"Everyone, run!" Jellal shouted. As everyone began to scatter a wall of runes appeared around the clearing, trapping them in. Only Happy, Carla, Wendy, Farrah, Gajeel, Mirajane, Juvia, and Gray were far enough from the camp to not be caught.

"A dark ecriture barrier?" Jellal asked.

"Don't just sit, there, Freed, break it!" Laxus shouted to the green haired man who was desperately scribbling in the air.

"I'm trying, but this is incredibly complex! Even for me!" Freed answered.

"Let me help," Rufus offered. "Maybe I've got something in my memory that can help."

"Well, hurry up! He's gonna cast it!" Orba shouted.

Aria raised his hands, tears flowing down his face. " _Metsu!"_

"Laxus!" Mirajane transformed back to her normal self and ran towards the barrier as the spell was cast. All inside began screaming in agony.

"Holy crap!" Gray ran up to the barrier, and ice sword in hand, but it shattered once he hit the barrier. "C'mon!" he shouted as he created another one.

"Darling, it's no use!" Juvia shouted as she ran to his side. "He's already cast the spell. Even if we could get inside the barrier we'd just be drained of our power alongside them.

"What?" Gray shouted. "So we can't do anything!"

"Mira!" Laxus yelled as he stumbled to the edge of the clearing and leaned agianst the barrier in front of Mirajan.

"Laxus!"

"Mira, get out of here!"

"No, I'm not leaving you!" Mirajane screamed as she beat against the barrier.

"Mira, listen to me," Laxus said in a pained voice. "It's too late. They got us. Get back to the guild. Tell them we were ambushed. Get a rescue party together."

"Don't talk like that! It's not too late!"

" _Metsu!"_ Aria shouted again.

Laxus' face contorted in pain.

"Laxus!"

"Mira, go," Laxus said. "As soon as he's done with us he'll come for you. Warn the guild. Please, Mira, go!"

"No, no, no!" Mira beat her fists on the barrier. "I'll get you out! We'll go back together! Just hang on!"

"Mira…"

" _Metsu!"_

"C'mon, you heard the man, let's go," Gajeel grabbed Mirajane by the waist and began running off.

"Gajeel, put me down!" Mirajane fought against him. "We can't leave them! We can't-LAXUS!"

"I love you, Mira," Laxus shouted through the pain.

Tears began streaming down Mirajane's face as she continued fighting against Gajeel's grip. "I love you too."

"Iron dragon scales!" Gajeel shouted. His entire body changed to metal and he finally had the stregnth to force Mirajane to come with him.

"I'll come back for you, I promise!" Mirajane yelled as she was dragged away.

"I know you will," Laxus smiled. "But now you have to go! Get out of here!"

"Laxus!"

"Take care of her, you metal head!" Laxus shouted to Gajeel.

"You got it, sparky!" Gajeel yelled back as he threw Mirajane over his shoulder and took off in a run.

"Beloved, we should go too," Juvia said as Gray glowered in anger at their suffering comrades.

"Yeah," Gray growled. "But we'll be back."

Juvia took his hand and they both ran off.

Happy took Farrah, and Carla took Wendy, and they too flew off.

" _Metsu!"_

With that final cast, everyone inside the barrier collapsed into unconciousness.

From out of the shadows came Ivan, smiling ear to ear. He snapped his fingers and the barrier disappeared.

"You didn't catch all of them," Aria said.

"No matter," Ivan shrugged. "I think we have enough for what we need."

"They'll warn the rest of their guild about us," Aria reminded him.

"Good. Good," Ivan grinned. "One less job for us."

"Oi! Would one of you dunder heads let me out of here!" Sol screeched from where he was still caught in one of Freed's barriers.

Ivan walked over to the barrier.

"I was starting to wonder if you'd ever come! I was starting to run out of turns and twists to take them on!"

Ivan began writing in the air until the barrier disappeared.

"You can use dark ecriture now, eh? So what other tricks have you learned from those books of yours?" Sol asked once he was freed.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out," Ivan answered. "But let's just say I didn't spend the past seven years raiding forgotten and lost libraries for nothing."

"I just hope your work of the lost time and memory magics you found has gotten better, after that blunder with that one traveller-" Sol mused.

"Oh, come off it," Ivan sputtered. "I'd like to see you try to strip a man of all his memories!"

"Technically it did work," Aria pointed out.

"Only for seven years!" Sol argued.

"Which turned out to be all the time we needed," Ivan smiled.

"So we got lucky. What if we are not so lucky next time."

"Quiet you!" Ivan pointed at Sol. "Just because you aren't in my guild doesn't mean I'll tolerate being talked down to by you."

"My apologies," Sol murmured. "Although, I do have a serious question now."

"What's that?"

"How are we going to get all these fairies back to head quarters?"

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three:**

The sun began to rise as Gajeel, Gray, Juvia, Mirajane, Farrah, Happy, and Carla continued walking along. Wendy was still unconcious, being carried on Gray's back. None of them said a word as they trekked along the path. They all just stared ahead. At some point Gray's hand slipped into Juvia's. Mira just clung both hands to her chest, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. As the sun made it's way over the horizon they came to a fork in the path. Gajeel, who had been leading the group stopped, and stared at the sign, brows furrowed in thought.

"Go to her," Mirajane said.

Gajeel turned and looked at her.

"We can warn the guild. You need to check on Levy. Go."

"Thanks," Gajeel muttered before taking off down one path while the rest of the group took the other.

"Is Mr. Laxus going to be okay?" Farrah asked as they kept going along.

"He'll be fine," Gray answered. "He's been through worse than this."

He turned and looked at Mirajane. "I'll bet he's planning his escape as we speak."

Mirajane smiled in gratitude at him, and they kept walking.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Laxus slowly opened his eyes. Everything hurt. He was exhausted, even though he'd just been asleep. His back and neck her aching horribly. He-

-Why the heck was he sitting up. He tried to move, but found that his hands were bound behind his back. He looked up and blinked. He was in a room that was literally lit from all angles. It was blinding it was so bright.

"You're up," a voice called from behind him.

"That Rogue?" he looked over his shoulder.

"Yes," the shadow dragon slayer answered.

"What's going on?"

"We've been captured. And our hands have been bound behind our backs and then tied to each other."

Laxus rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I got that much. Where are we?"

"My guess? Phantom Tail's headquarters."

"You wanna be more specific?" Laxus grumbled.

"In a room specifically designed to hold the likes of you," another voice called as a dark door opened in the midst of the blinding light. It closed quickly to reveal Jose smiling evilly at them. "Like it?"

"I've been held up in better," Laxus replied.

"Ah, I'm sure. But you see, this room isn't meant to be nice. It's meant to contain."

"Meaning?" Laxus arched an eyebrow.

Ivan began to pace. "As I'm sure you are aware, you two have been drained of your magic energy by Aria. Normally, the magic energy would have to be regathered and then given back to the person it was stolen from. But you two are a special case. You're dragon slayers. You can get magic energy from eating your elements. Hence why you've been brought here. This room is lit from every angle. No chance of shadows in here. And we're several miles under ground. No way for lightning to get this deep under ground."

"I see," Rogue nodded, glancing at the ground beneath Jose.

"So where's our friends?" Laxus asked.

"Don't worry, they're being kept in our usual dungeons. Safe and sound. Whether or not they stay that way depends on how cooperative Fairy Tail is willing to be."

"You're not getting your hands on that baby," Laxus said.

"That remains to be seen," Jose said. "Afterall, give up one little child to be raised by someone else, or sentence a dozen to their death. Seems like an easy choice to me."

"They'll get us out of here," Laxus said.

"You seem pretty confident."

"I've tried going up against Fairy Tail before. Trust me. It never works out."

"Maybe not for you," Jose said. "But we have a plan."

"Use us as bargaining chips? Wow, so original," Laxus rolled his eyes. If I had a jewel for everytime a foe tried that…"

"Shut up!" Jose thundered. "You should know that ruffling my feathers won't help your situation!"

"I wasn't even trying. Sounds to me like you're just tense."

"I am not tense!"

"Whatever."

Jose growled as he straightened out his clothes, pulling a communication lacrima out of his pocket. "No matter. All I need is a picture. Smile!" the lacrima flashed. "There, now your friends can see just what dire straights you are in!"

He turned and left. Silence fell over the two dragon slayers.

"Did you get any of it?" Laxus finally asked.

"Yes," Rogue nodded. "We may not make any shadows while at the center of the room, but he did make a few standing at the edge. It wasn't a lot, but it may be just enough for me to get us out of this room. From there I'm not sure."

"Well, we can't get back to the guild hall until we're out of here, so let's go," Laxus said.

Rogue nodded. "Shadows."

The two men disappeared into a shadow and slid under the door, past two guards, down a hall, turned to the right, and then made it half way up a spiralling staircase before returnign to their normal states. Rogue sat on his knees panting as Laxus sat in front of him.

"That's it…" he gasped. "That's all I can do."

"Well, we've got shadows all around us now, so eat up," Laxus said. "Until we get to some lightning you're the only one of the two of us who can use magic."

Rogue nodded, opened his mouth and took in a deep inhale, sucking the shadows into his mouth while Laxus kept watch.

"Hm...something's wrong. This is too easy. Someone should have come after us."

"Agreed," Rogue said. "It seems odd that no one has noticed that we have left."

"Well, we can't sit around and wait to see what's going on. How you feeling?"

"Better," Rogue nodded. "Ready to go?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Rogue set his hand on Laxus' shoulder and they disappeared into a shadow again. They slithered up the stair case, and up and up and up…

"You feel that?" Laxus asked, still in the shadow.

"Yes, it's getting hotter," Rogue replied.

"Where the heck are we?"

The two kept spiralling upward until they reached a glass room. At least it looked glass. Rogue released the shadow and both men stood to their feet. It couldn't have really been glass they were looking at, because bubbling on the other side of the wall was-

"Lava?"

"Since when has there been a volcanoe in the middle of the Waas Forest?" Laxus asked.

"Never that I'm aware of," Rogue answered.

"Built their headquarters inside a volcano. These guys are crazy!" Laxus exclaimed. "Tch. Where's Natsu when you need him."

"I think this might be too much for even him to handle," Rogue muttered in awe.

"You two don't hang out much, do you?" Laxus asked.

Footsteps came from behind them. Rogue grabbed Laxus and turned them back to shadows. A young woman with a Phantom Tail emblem on her shoulder walked past them. They followed her. She pressed a button and opened a door. A waterfall of lava was on the otherside. Her emblem began to flow and she walked ahead, the lava parting in front of her.

"So this lava is enchanted," Rogue said. "It won't harm anyone who bears their emblem."

"Well, that explains why they weren't panicking when we got out," Laxus muttered.

"Yes, but now how are we supposed to escape?" Rogue asked.

"Sit around and wait I guess."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm glad you asked..."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Ergh!" Lucy grumbled as she fidgeted with the knitting needles in front of her. Knots and tangles of pink and yellow yarn snared them together, making her brow furrow in frustration. The guild hall was quieter than usual with most of the regulars out still looking for Phantom Tail, causing the clicking of the needles all the more irritating.

"Wow, didn't know you were the knitting type," Cana said as she plopped down at the table next to her.

"Well, normally I'm not," Lucy answered. "But with a baby coming I thought I could learn so I could make some blankets and such."

"Yeah?" Cana took a swig of her beer. "And how's that going?"

Lucy slammed her head onto the table. "I suck!"

"Ah, c'mon," Cana gently slugged her in the shoulder. "You can't expect to pick it up all at once. Besides, there are such things as shops."

"I know, I know," Lucy muttered. "I just thought it would be nice to actually make it instead of buying it."

"Pssh! Why waste the time when you can pay someone to do it for you I say," Cana chuckled. "Especially if I were as big as you-"

"Wha-! But my bump's just now big enough to be seen through my shirt!"

"-are going to be! Sheesh! Pregnancy hormones got you more self-concious than usual."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing," Cana sighed, sipping her beer once more.

"Could you drink that somewhere else, the smell's making me dizzy."

"Fine, fine," Cana stood up and sauntered off to the bar where Guildarts and Makarov were talking. Lisanna was wiping the counter down when she noticed Lucy looking glum and walked towards her.

"What's wrong, Lucy?"

"I suck at knitting," Lucy tossed the yarn and needles over her shoulder. Lisanna fethced it.

"It's not so bad. If you want I can give you some lessons."

"How are you and Mira so good at all this kind of stuff," Lucy grumbled. "You can cook, knit, sew, keep a superbly clean and organized home, and I can't do any of that!"

"Natsu said you're a pretty good cook."

"No, I'm not. He'll just eat anything I give him," Lucy muttered.

"Well, I suppose that's true," Lisanna giggled as she began untangling the knitting. "Speaking of which, where is Natsu?"

"Doing a bunch of small odd jobs around town," Lucy answered. "He was getting bored just sitting around and watching me, so I cut him a deal. He go out and do some jobs, and I'll stay at the guild hall where I'm safe. Besides, despite everything that's going one we've still got to save up some money for when Nashi gets here."

"Nashi? So you picked out a name!"

"Yup."

"Aw, I love it!"

"Thanks," Lucy smiled.

"There, now," Lisanna put the needles back into Lucy's hand. "Now, let's try a hat first. Those are pretty easy to do."

By the time Natsu and returned Lucy had already knitted about an inch's worth. He walked up behind her, set his bag (that he'd insisted on bringing with him for some reason) down and covered her eyes.

"Guess who?" he asked, grinning ear to ear.

"My baby daddy?"

"You guessed right," Natsu smiled as he wrapped his arms around her neck and se this chin on top of her head.

"Natsu, look, I'm making Nashi a hat!" Lucy cheered.

"Looks more like a wash cloth to me," Natsu arched an eyebrow.

"Be nice!" Lisanna smacked him in the shoulder. "She worked hard on that. Besides, it's not done yet!"

"Sorry," Natsu said. "Nice job, Luce."

"Yeah, now you say that," Lucy sighed as she kept knitting.

"Hey, it's better than anything I could do."

"That's not saying much."

"Hey, who's being mean now?"

Lucy giggled as Natsu kissed her cheek before setting both hands on her tiny baby bump. In the two weeks they'd been back since the attack on the Christina her belly had doubled in size. She still wasn't quite big enough to have to wear maternity clothes, but she had outgrown her usual tank tops and miniskirts. Instead she was wearing leggings and oversized shirts.

"Feeling anything, yet?" he asked.

Lucy shook her head as she went back to her knitting. "No, the books said I probably won't feel any movement for another three weeks."

"Aw," Natsu whined as he sat down on the bench next to her.

"How'd the jobs go?" Lucy asked.

"Great, managed to rack up a lot of jewel."

"Did you already bring it to the safe?"

"Nope," Natsu dug through his bag. "I got this."

He set a kit for a cradle on the table.

"Oh," Lucy cheered excitedly as she picked it up and looked at it. "Just a plain wooen one?"

"I figured you'd want to paint it," Natsu answered.

"Did you buy any paint?"

"No, I was going to wait until we could go out together."

The doors busted open. In stumbled Mirajane, Juvia, Gray, Happy, and Carla stumbled in. Mirajane carried a small child on her hips. Gray had a very weak looking Wendy in his arms. They were all covered in dirt and scratches, and they all looked exhausted.

"Guys?" Natsu asked as Cana, Lisanna, and Guildarts raced to them.

"What happened?" Guildarts asked as he took Wendy into his arms and turned to Cana. "Go get Polyusica."

Cana nodded and ran off.

"Where's Lauxs?" Makarov asked as he shuffled towards them.

Mirajane's bottom lip trembled. Juvia took the little girl from her so she could sit down at a table and cry.

Everyone watched her with wide, frightened eyes.

"We were ambushed, about a week ago," Gray said.

"Ambushed?" Lucy squeaked. "How?"

Gray sighed. "Aria. The guy who can steal magic energy from Phantom Lord. He's gotten stronger. And so has everyone else."

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four:**

"Hm…" Levy stared at her notes. They'd been at the library for two weeks now, but research was still going slow. They'd atleast found out what the names of the eighteen titans were:

Asteria, Atlas, Perses, Eos, Epimetheus, Eurybia, Hyperion, Iapetus, Lelantos, Metis, Ophion, Pallas, Pheobe, Rhea, Styx, Thea, Themis, and, of course, Prometheus.

As to what their powers were...well...that was going a little slower.

Eurybia was the one confusing her the most right now. Everytime she found anything about this titaness it mentioned something about water...the exact opposite of fire. How was this chick supposed to fit into the whole fire theme?

Then there was Prometheus. There was still no sign of what his power could be anywhere. She did have confirmation that he had powers, though. She'd found remenants of a poem talking about how all of the titans had used their powers to defend a village from a dragon, Prometheus included. No, not just included, but praised. The poem still didn't state what exactly his flames did, but if they were powerful enough to fend off a dragon with no dragon slayer magic…

"Ms. McGarden, look at this," Jude said as he walked to her side. He had a a very tattered looking book in his hand. Levy turned to him as he opened it to a page.

"'Iapetus the Piercer?'" Levy read. "...whatever he saw with his eyes, he could forge with his flame…?"

"So he could create weapons from pure fire?"

"Seems to be the case," Levy said as she added it to the list.

 _Asteria: Shooting Stars? Sky?_

 _Atlas: Endurance?_

 _Perses:_

 _Eos: Wings?_

 _Epimetheus:_

 _Eurybia: Water?_

 _Hyperion: Speed?_

 _Iapetus: "The Piercer" Can make weapons with fire?_

 _Lelantos:_

 _Metis:_

 _Ophion:_

 _Pallas:_

 _Phoebe: Fire of the moon?_

 _Pomtetheus: Probably really dangerous, whatever it is._

 _Rhea: A Protection Flame?_

 _Styx:_

 _Thea:_

 _Themis:_

Most of the titans still had nothing written to their names. Levy frowned. This was going much slower than she had expected. Jude looked over her shoulder and frowned.

"Still nothing on Prometheus?"

"No," Levy muttered.

Jude sighed and turned back to the bookshelves, looking through the books.

"You haven't heard from Lucy at all have you?" he asked.

"No, but I'm sure she's fine," Levy assured him.

Jude nodded and rubbed a crick in his neck.

"You doing alright?" Levy asked, concerned.

"Oh, yes, just a bit achy," he chuckled softly. "That's what happenes when you get old."

"You want to take a break?" Levy asked. "We've hardly left the library since we got here."

"No, no, I'm fine," Jude assured her, rubbing his lower back again.

"Are you sure? Because-"

"Levy," Pantherlily called as he flew in.

"Yes, Lily?"

"Just thought you ought to know that we're running low on food."

"Hey!" Levy cheered. "Mr. Heartfelia, why don't you go to the nearby village and buy us some more food?"

"Erm…" Jude turned to face the other two.

"Come on, you could use the fresh air," Levy encouraged as she dropped a small bag of jewel into his hands and began writing out a list on a page in her notebook. "There should be some extra jewel in that bag. Use it to get yourself something. Or Lucy. Or the baby. I'm sure she and Natsu would appreciate anything for the baby."

"Alright," Jude nodded as he took the list and the jewel bag and shuffled off.

"What do you think of him?" Pantherlily asked once he was gone.

"He seems alright," Levy said. "Just kinda lost right now."

"I guess that's understandable," Pantherlily nodded as he flew to pull down some books from the top shelf. He stopped mid flight and turned back towards the door. He dropped to the ground and grew into his battle form.

"Someone's here," he said as he pulled out his sword. Levy dropped the books and got jumped to her feet, looking, waiting for the intruder.

"Sheesh, haven't seen you losers for two weeks and this is the greeting I get?" a familiar voice called.

"Gajeel?" both Lily and Levy asked.

Said iron wizard stumbled his way throught the room, pushed past Pantherlily, snatched Levy into his arms and kissed her, casuing her to let out a surprised squeak.

"You're okay," he sighed in relief as she held her closer against him.

"Of course I'm okay," Levy said. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Gajeel hung his head as he took two steps back.

Levy's eyes widened in fear. "Gajeel? What happened?"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"How is she?" Gray asked, pointing to Wendy as he sat in a chair next to her bed, Polyusica leaning over her from the other side of the bed. Everyone had gathered in the healing ward. Juvia was sitting on her knees next Gray, holding his hand in both of hers. Farrah was asleep in one of the beds as Mirajane sat on the edge of it, mindlessly running her hand over the little girl's hair. Lisanna sat next to her sister, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. Makarov stood next to her, watching Polyusica check over Wendy. Carla and Happy were perched on the headboard of Wendy's bed. Natsu was seated the cross-legged on one of the empty beds, Lucy curled up in his lap, running her hands over her baby bump. Guildarts and Cana were leaned against the wall next to the door.

"She'll be fine," Polyusica answered as she placed a cold rag on her head. "She's had a concussion and needs a week or two of rest off her feet so she can regain her bearings is all. Now hold still."

She walked to Gray's side of the bed and grabbed his chin and shined a light in both of his eyes. She'd already checked Juvia, Happy, Carla, and Farrah. They were all fine. Gray and Mirajane were the last to be looked at.

"You're fine," Polyusica muttered as she turned off her light and dropped his chin.

"I could have told you that," Gray mumbled as he stood up. "Now, how are we gonna get our friends back."

"I said you were fine, I didn't say you were in fighting shape," Polyusica snapped. "You're all exhausted and need rest."

Gray clenched his fists and stormed out.

"Gray?" Juvia asked as she followed after him.

Natsu watched him go, concern in his eyes. Lucy frowned deeply and circled her arms around her belly.

Cana started after them, but Guildarts grabbed her by her shoulder.

"Let them be," he told his daughter before walking towards Makarov, who was simply frowning at the ground, arms crossed.

"Laxus will be fine," Guildarts said. "He's Ivan's son. He won't-"

"You don't know Ivan," Makarov hissed.

Mirajane whimpered as she clutched the blanket of the bed in her fists. Lisanna set a hand on her shoulder.

"It's going to be okay, Mira."

"Miss Mira," Farrah whispered as she stirred and woke up.

"Yes, Farrah?" Mirajane asked.

"I'm scared," Farrah answered.

Mirajane forced a smile a pulled Farrah into her lap. "It'll be okay, Farrah. We'll get Mr. Laxus and the rest back, you'll see."

Farrah snuggled closer to Mirajane and whimpered in fear.

"You all look fine to me," Polyusica said as she approached Mirajane, "But I have something I need to check with you."

"Okay?" Mirajane asked softly as she handed Farrah to Lisana and stood up. Polyusica pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to her.

"Go take this."

Mirajane's eyes widened. "Why?"

"You know why."

Natsu strained to see what was in Mirajane's hand. "Wha-Oh…"

"You could have waited until you two were in private!" Lisanna scolded.

"Why? You'd all find out sooner or later..."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Gray?" Juvia asked as she followed her husband onto the balcony. He leaned on the railing, breaths ragged. He hadn't smiled once since they'd been ambushed. He'd been all angry and moody. He'd hardly said a word outside of "time to go" or "Let's rest" or "Let's move." She tip toed towards him. As his wife it was her job to cheer him up, but she hadn't been doing a good job of that lately. "Gray?"

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Are...are you alright?" she whispered, seting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Gray answered, setting his hand ontop of hers, but still staring ahead. "Just ready to get our friends back is all."

Juvia wrapped her arms around his waist. Maybe just being close to her would be enough to cheer him up.

"I know you are, darling."

Gray sighed deeply. Apparently her loving embrace wasn't working.

"We didn't even get close," he grumbled. "We still have no idea where their headquarters are."

"Gray-"

"How did they get the jump on us so easily? We were like sitting ducks! They took us out before we could even get a punch in!" he slammed his fist on the railing.

"It won't happen again," Juvia assured him.

"You're darn right, it won't!" Gray turned and faced her.

Juvia gasped. He was so angry. So upset. Why, oh, why couldn't she make him feel better? She gently turned him towards her and caressed his cheek. Maybe a more subtle approach would work? He placed his hand over hers, that was a good sign.

"At least I still got you, you crazy stalker," he said softly.

"You'll always have me," Juvia promised.

"I know," Gray kissed her palm. Juvia smiled and dove into his arms. Gray let out a small "oof" at the impact that knocked him against the balcony railing before chuckling and wrapping his arms around her.

"You should really warn me before you do that," he smirked.

"I thought you liked surprises," Juvia murmured, worried. Had she done something wrong?

"I was joking, sheesh," Gray ran a hand over her hair. "Relax a bit, will you."

"Sorry, darling."

"And quit apologizing for everything."

"Sor-I mean! Ugh! I'm messing up again, aren't I?"

"Messing up what?" Gray asked.

"I'm trying to be the best wife for you I can be, but I-"

"Man, you get up tight about the silliest things," Gray held her closer. "You've been great."

"But you've been so sad and I couldn't cheer you up," Juvia sighed. "No matter what I do, you stayed gloomy."

"That's not your fault," Gray said, placing a kiss on top of her hair.

"But I'm your wife, I'm supposed to make you happy-"

"You do make me happy," Gray tightened his arms around her waist. "Just because I'm stressed about our current situation doesn't mean I'm not happy with you. I'm just...well, yeah, stressed out. My mood would be 10 times worse right now if you weren't here."

"I'm happy to hear that," Juvia smiled as she nuzzled her face into his chest, and noticed something.

"Um, darling?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's your shirt?"

"GAH! When did I lose that!"

The doors to the guild hall began to creak and open.

"Who could be coming here at this hour-Gray!"

The ice wizard darted off of the balcony and down to the main room of the Guild Hall.

"Who are you-" his voice caught in his throat and he gasped as he saw: "Laxus? Rogue?"

"Nice to see you too," Laxus chuckled as the two dragon slayers stumbled inside. "Where's everyone else? Where's Mira?"

"In the healing ward with Polyusica. What are you doing here? How'd you get away?"

"Long story, one we'll tell once everyone's been gathered," Rogue said as Gray began leading them back to the healing ward. Laxus was breathing heavily, as if he was exhausted. Rogue, however, seemed to be fine, albeit a bit dirty and tired.

"Gray!" Juvia called as she raced down the stairs. "Gray, what-Oh! Laxus, Rogue! Im so glad you're okay!"

"Hey, Juvia," Laxus called, patting Juvia on the head as he continued along the way to healing ward. Gray raced ahead of them, opening the doors for them.

"Hey, guys, look who showed up!" he announced.

Everyone was pretty much where they had been when he left, except Mirajane had moved to the bed nearest the door, eyes wide and face pale. She turned, scared-faced towards Gray's voice, and then lit up immediately at the sight before her.

"Laxus!" she cried as she raced towards him and jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms and legs around him. Laxus stumbled to the ground, catching himself with one hand and wrapping the other around Mirajane.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he chuckled.

Mirajane let out a half-giggle, half-sob as she tightened her arms around him.

"Don't squeeze him too tight!" Polyusica scolded. "He's been drained of magic power and is very weak."

"Aw, come off it you old fossil," Laxus waved the older woman off as he held his wife closer to him. "I've been looking forward to this all week."

"Mr. Laxus!" Farrah called as she raced towards him.

"Hey, squirt," Laxus held out an arm to welcome the little girl into the hug. Mirajane smiled at the sight, then pulled back just so she could dive in for a kiss with Laxus.

"Ugh! Young idiots," Polyusica grumbled.

"Hey, guys!" Natsu called, waving enthusiastically. "Nice to see you still in one piece!"

Lucy smiled and waved as well.

Rogue returned their gesture, but Laxus was too busy making out with his wife to notice.

"How'd you get away?" Mirajane asked once they parted.

"Long story," Laxus said before going into retelling the ordeal. Polyusica finally coaxed him into sitting in a bed so she could check him and and Rogue out.

"Enchanted Lava?" Guildarts asked. "That's a new one."

"So…" Cana thought. "Their hideout isn't in the Waas Forest, it's underneath it."

"Who would have thought there was a volcano under the forest," Happy though out loud.

"That does explain why we had such trouble finding them," Carla said. "To think they were literally under our noses the whole time."

"So, how'd you guys even get out?" Gray asked.

"We waited until two of their guildmembers passed by, then captured them and forced them to walk us out," Rogue said. "So long as someone with their guild mark walks ahead of you the lava won't hurt you. Try to go through it alone, though, and you'll probably melt away."

"I highly doubt we can capture enough of their men for us to sneak back in," Makarov mused.

"Natsu, can you eat lava?" Guildarts asked.

"Don't know. Never tried it," Natsu replied.

"Even if you could I think a whole volcano of it would bee too much for one person to swallow," Lisanna said. "Even if that person is you."

"Hey!" Natsu argued.

"No, she's got a point," Happy stated. "Your stomach's big but it's not that big."

Natsu glared at his old friend, then began to think. "Maybe it's too much for me. But I wonder if E.N.D. could-"

"No!" Lucy shouted. "It's bad enough you let him out on Mount Hakobe, you're not-"

"Hey, I was defending you!" Natsu shouted back. "Besides, he was going to come out either way."

"I thought you had him under control!" Gray said. This was this first he'd heard about the incident.

"Again with this? AUGH! Okay," Natsu ran his hands over his face. "Thanks to Mira I now have a takeover I can use for the big guy that keeps me in control. BUT he can still force his way out of me if I get too angry. That's why I had to let him out back then, because if I didn't he'd force his way out."

When a bit of a confused silence fell, Natsu grumbled in frustration.

"IT'S NOT THAT HARD GUYS! Takeover, Natsu's still in control. No takeover, E.N.D.'s in control. Got it!?"

"And he forces his way out...whenever you get too mad?" Gray asked.

"Mad. Scared. In the case of waht happened to Lucy back there a bit of both. Point is, since I can stay in control of him if I use takeover I can use him to get rid of the lava."

"You have lost control while in takeover, though," Lisana said. "Remember when-"

"That doesn't count! I did not lose control," Natsu argued, before hanging his head in embarrassment. "I just overdid it."

"WHAT!? IT'S BAD ENOUGH WHEN YOU OVER DO IT JUST YOU! NO WAY WE'RE LETTING YOU-" Gray shouted.

"You got any better ideas, Ice Brain!?"

As the ice and fire wizards began arguing, Mirajane and Laxus paid no mind. They were too busy just enjoying each other's company. Farrah was still curled up in Laxus' lap, her tiny arms around him.

"Are you okay, Mr. Laxus?" she asked.

"Sure, thing, kid. I'm fine," he assured her.

Tears began rolling down her eyes. "That's good. I was scared!"

"Why were you scared?" Laxus asked.

"I was scared I was going to lose you like I lost my first Mommy and Daddy," she said.

"Ah, don't worry about. I'm tougher than-"

"What do you mean first Mommy and Daddy?" Mirajane cut her husband off.

Farrah gasped and hung her head. "I...um...nothing…"

Mirajane set a hand on Farrah's shoulder. "It's okay, you can tell us."

 _Tell us what?_ Laxus thought to himself.

"Well...I...uh…" Farrah twirled her hair. "I mean, you and Mr. Laxus have kinda been like my mom and dad. But! I! Erm, I know you're not! And I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

"You don't have to apologize," Mirajane said as she pulled Farrah into a hug.

"But, you aren't my Mommy and Daddy. And I don't want my Mommy and Daddy to think I forgot them."

"Oh, Farrah," Mirajane ran a hand over the little girl's hair. "Your Mommy and Daddy know you haven't forgotten them. Letting someone go and forgetting about them are two very different things."

"How?" Farrah asked.

"Forgetting someone is, well, forgetting them. Letting them go is learning how to move on with your life without them. It doesn't mean you've forgotten them, though. You still have the memories of the good times you shared together in your heart. Those will stay with you forever. But you can stay stuck in those times or you'll never grow."

Farrah smiled softly as she snuggled closer to Mirajane. "My mommy used to say you needed to drink milk to grow."

Laxus and Mirajane both laughed.

"I'm talking about growing in a different way, Farrah. Growing as a person. Grwoing in your heart. You can't do that if you're always sad about your Mommy and Daddy. Of course you'll always have times you'll be sad that they're gone, but you need to learn to be happy too."

Farrah sighed and nodded her head. "I guess so."

A short silence fell before she looked up at Laxus and Mirajane.

"So...it's not bad that I want you two to be my parents now?"

Laxus and Mirajane both gasped. They turned and looked at each other. Mirajane smiled and Laxus nodded.

"Of course we'll be your parents now," Mirajane smiled as she and Laxus hugged the little girl again.

"We'll be whatever you need us to be, kiddo," Laxus agreed as he ruffled Farrah's head.

"Yay!" she cheered as she held them as tightly as she could with her little arms. "Does that mean I can call you Mommy and Daddy now? Or, no, something else. I already have a Mommy and Daddy. Having two of each might get confusing."

"True," Mirajane giggled. "You can call us Mama and Papa. Would that work?"

"Yeah!" Farrah cheered.

"Hey, gramps! You've got a great-granddaughter!" Laxus called over his shoulders.

"Laxus not no-WHAT!?" Makarov shouted before racing to Laxus' side.

"We're adopting Farrah," Laxus explained.

"Oh, well how do you do Miss Farrah. I'm Laxus' grandfather," Makarov smiled at the little girl.

"So you're my grandpa too?" Farrah asked.

"I most certainly am."

"I knew it," Rogue chuckled under his breath as he watched on with a smile.

"Guess we're not the only one's whose family's growing," Natsu smiled as he sat back down next to Lucy.

"Guess not," she smiled as she leaned her head on his shoulder, watching as everyone congratulated the new family.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Later that night Mirajane and Laxus watched Farrah sleeping in their bed. Since the adoption had happened so last minute they hadn't had time to set anything up for her, so they were letting her sleep with them until they could get a room set up for her.

"Funny," Laxus said. "I was hoping to have a family one day, but I didn't think it would happen like this."

"Yeah," Mirajane smiled, a slightly mischievous look in her eye. "Who would have thought we'd being getting ready to take care of two kids at once."

"Two kids?" Laxus raised an eyebrow at her.

Mirajane smiled, took his hand, and placed it against her stomach. Laxus stared at it for a while, brows furrowed, then a grin began spreading over his face as he looked up at Mirajane.

"No you're not…"

Mirajane smiled and nodded.

"When did you find out?" Laxus asked.

"About five minutes before you showed up in the healing ward," Mirajane explained.

"So, wait. We just adopted one kid, now we're going to have a baby."

"Mm-hmm."

"Wha-C'mere, you!"

Laxus pulled her close against him and kissed her. Of course Ivan was still out there causing trouble, but right now Laxus didn't care. It wasn't like Ivan had ever really been his family. His real family was right her with him.

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five:**

"...so here's where the entrance we escaped from is," Rogue said as he and the rest of the group gathered around a map on the table in the guild hall the next morning. Thankfully, those on the Christina's were not captured. After several days of Hibiki not being able to contact anyone via telepathy, he and the others returned to the guild hall, suspecting something was wrong. That bolstered their numbers a bit, but it still wasn't enough to give them much confidence.

"That means that the base is in this general area," he drew a circle surrounding the entrance.

"But it's underground," Gray said. "So we don't have a definite idea as to where it is."

"Or how many wizards they got in there," Lucy muttered.

"It's not that heavily guarded, though, so sneaking in shouldn't be hard," Laxus said.

"It wasn't when we left," Rogue corrected. "Now that they've realized we've escaped they'll be upping security."

"Hm…" Makarov stroked his beard as he pondered. "We may not be able to take Phantom Tail on as we are now."

"What do you mean Gramps!?" Natsu shouted.

"We don't have the numbers to fight them and save...who all didn't escape? Whose still caught?" Makarov asked.

"Freed, Bickslow, Sherria, Toby, Yuka, Lyon, Sherria, Orba, Erza, Jellal, and Rufus," Laxus named off.

"Ah, yes. There's no way we can take on a whole guild and rescue 11 people all at once with the numbers we have now. Therefore our main objective needs to be to rescue our comrades. With them back on our side we'll have a better chance of finishing Phantom Tail once and for all, but until we get them back we can't focus on war," Makarov explained.

"We've still gotta find them and find a way inside, though," Gray pointed out.

"This would be a lot easier if we could have Jura on our side," Elfman said. "He could use his eart magic to find them. Plus he's a real man!"

"We still haven't heard back from the council?" Laxus asked Makarov.

"No," Makarov sighed. "I suppose they haven't seen our message yet."

The doors of the guild hall swung open. Everyone turned and found an entire brigade of Rune Knights marching in, a man with neon green hair leading them.

"Yes, we have. Hezim Kurchaw, new commander of the Rune Knights. I have some questions for the ones known as Natsu and Lucy Dragneel."

Natsu jumped to his feet. "Why?"

Lucy placed one hand on her baby bump and gripped her husband's hand with the other. He entertwined his fingers with hers, comfortingly.

Hezim turned to them, a strange look in his eyes. He held a hand to tell his men to stay back as he walked to the couple, pulled up a chair infront of them, and sat down.

"Just wanting to get the full scope of what's happening…"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Requip!" Erza shouted.

Nothing. She gritted her teeth and held out her hand again. "Requip!"

"Erza, stop," Jellal said as he stumbled towards his wife.

"It's been days, why have I not gotten my power back!"

"It must be something to do with these cages," Jellal said gesturing to the bars keeping them trapped.

Erza frowned. "Requ-"

"Erza, stop," Jellal put his hand on hers. "This won't get us anywhere."

"We can't just sit here!" Erza shouted.

"We don't have a choice," Jellal explained. "We simply need to have faith that our friends will come for us."

Erza slammed her fist into the bars. "We have to get out of here!"

"We will," Jellal assured her, setting his hands on her shoulder and turning her towards him. "We just have to wait-"

"That's not good enough!" Erza yelled. "They need us, so we must fight to free ourselves!"

"Erza, we can't! That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

Erza jumped at the tone in his voice.

"I'm afraid we're the ones that need saving this time," Jellal sighed.

Erza hung her head, drawing her knees to her chest. Jellal scotted closer towards her, cupping her face in his hand.

"I'm sure they're coming up with a plan as we speak," he assured her.

She didn't answer. She just stared straight ahead.

"We'll get out soon," Jellal promised her. "And when we do I am taking a long vacation and you and I are going away."

"Away?" Erza perked up. "Away to where?"

"Anywhere you and I can get some alone time," Jellal chuckled. "We'll get to have romantic dinners, with plenty of cake for desert. Take long walks in nature. Maybe go on a picnic."

"Sounds nice," Erza smiled.

"And hopefully," Jellal tilted her face towards his. "By the time we get back," he placed his hand over her stomach. "We'll have a child on the way."

Erza's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Jellal smiled and nodded. "Really. So just hand in there a little while longer. Please. For me?"

Erza threw her arms around his neck and held him close. "I will."

"Just don't go making a baby while we're all stuck in this cage with you, please?" Orba asked from where he and all the rest sat.

"Yeah...that would be a bit awkward," Sherria nodded.

"Not a sight I would like to commit to memory," Rufus agreed.

"Really? Just had to ruin their moment, didn't you?" Freed scolded.

"And just when it was getting good," Bickslow lamented.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"I see…" Hizem stroked his chin. "And you have no idea what these powers would look like?"

"Well," Lucy shifted uneasily. "We did get a glimpse of it when I was attacked. Maybe. I'm actually not sure."

"Do tell," Hizem's eyebrows raised.

Lucy shifted again. She didn't like this guy. Natsu didn't either, and made sure to seat himself inbetween his wife and the knight captain.

"Well...while I was being attacked these pink flames appeared out of nowhere," Lucy began explaining. "They coated my whole body, but I couldn't feel anything. Whenever anyone tried to grab me, though, it burned them. Badly. No one could touch me."

"I could," Natsu objected. "In fact the minute I touched you they disappeared."

"Hm…" Hezim snapped hsi fingers and a guard brought forth a book. He flipped to a page and opened it. "Did this appear anywhere."

"Yeah," Lucy nodded at the picture shown to her. "Those symbol showed up on my stomach."

"They're not symbols," Hezim explained. "It's the name of the titaness Rhea written in an ancient language. It seems that your child cast one of Rhea's spells from inside the womb."

"Is that even possible?" Natsu asked.

"It shouldn't be," Hezim replied. "But, look at what's happened."

"So what's that mean?" Lucy asked.

"It means your child is-"

"Going to be extremely powerful. Yeah, yeah, we've heard it before," Natsu cut him off.

"And potentially dangerous," Hezim said as he stood. "It brings me no joy to do this, but I'm afraid you'll have to come with me Mrs. Dragneel."

"What!?" Lucy shouted.

"No way, not happening!" Natsu jumped to his feet.

"As a sworn protector of Fiore I cannot allow this to go unchecked. We'll have to supervize this child until we know where it's intentions-"

"It's intentions?" Cana shouted. "She's a baby! She doesn't have intentions! Seriously, we call you for help, get no answer for almost a month, and now you do this!?"

"I wish you no harm. But the danger presented is too great to ignore. I can promise we'll take good care of you, Mrs. Dragneel, and the baby once its born."

"No way!" Natsu shouted. "You're not taking them anywhere!"

"I understand your hesitance, Mr. Dragneel, but please understand. This is quite an extraordinary event that must be looked into with full detail."

"I don't care! You ain't taking my girls from me," Natsu stood toe to toe with the commander.

"Those are far from my intentions, Mr. Dragneel, I am simply trying to keep everything and everyone safe."

"From a baby!?"

"From a potential threat."

Natsu suddenly gasped and put a hand to his chest. His eyes narrowed as he looked up at the commander. "You're about to really piss me off, bub. You got about 30 seconds to back away before I have to do something crazy."

"Are you threatening me?" Hezim's voice was strangely calm as his men began to march forward, weapons drawn.

"I'm trying to warn you," Natsu said. "Now get lost. She ain't going anywhere with you."

"He's not trying to be tough," Lisanna spoke up. "You really need to back off."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Now please, let's stop being ridiculous and-"

Natsu let out a gargled cry and clutched his chest. "Too late!"

A black magic circle appeared above him and a black smoke engulfed him. Everyone, including Hezim and Lucy jumped back as E.N.D. appeared in his place.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked in a scared voice.

"Still here," a deep, growly voice answered. "Beat him to it by a second."

"What on-men!" Hezim shouted.

The guards all sent out stunning magic blasts to the creature, who caught each of them effortlessly in his palm as if her were swatting flies.

"What do you think you are-"

"I told you to back off!" E.N.D. hissed, cutting Hezim off.

"This has gone far enough! I'm not your enemy!" Hezim insisted.

"That so?" E.N.D. asked. "Then turn around, walk out of my guild hall, and don't come back!"

"I can't do that," Hezim said.

E.N.D. raised his hand.

"If you attack me I'll have no choice but to declare you and your guild fugitives," Hezim warned. E.N.D. lowered his hand, eyes full of fear. Then humor. Then fear. Then humor. Then the creature clutched his head and began arguing with itself.

"No, don't! You can't-"

"Shut up!"

"We can't do that!"

"We have to!"

"No we don't!"

"You want to lose your family!"

"No!"

"Then let me take ov-"

"NO!"

"Stop being stupid!"

"I'm not! Get back!"

E.N.D. shook his head violently, turned, snatched Lucy towards him, and scooped her up bridal style.

"Fine, then I won't attack," it sneered as it spread its wings and shot into the air.

"Follow him!" Hezim ordered.

"Good luck with that," Gray scoffed as the Rune Knights took off out of the Guild Hall.

"I told you contacting them was a bad idea, gramps!" Laxus shouted. "Now we're in worse shape than we were before!"

Makarov frowned deeply at the floor. "This doesn't make sense. Why would they spring this on us like that without so much as a warning. Surely Jura or Warrod would have at least given us a heads up."

"Doesn't matter now," Laxus said as he stared off to where Lucy and E.N.D. had disappeared into the clouds. "Question is, how are we gonna find them?"

"Way ahead of you!" Happy shouted as he took off into the air.

"Guess I better follow," Carla sighed. "Keep an eye on Wendy while I'm gone, won't you?"

"Of course," Mirajane promised. "I won't be going on any missions for a while anyways now that I've got a bun in the oven."  
"While they're gone we should get back to making a plan," Rogue said. "This little incident doesn't change the fact that our friends are still being held captive."

"Right," Laxus nodded. "Now how-Gramps, where are you going?"

"To pay some old friends a visit," a very angry Makarov answered as he stormed out of the guild hall.

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six:**

"Oof!" Lucy gasped as E.N.D. landed on a hillside very far out of town and set her down. Well "setting down" was a nice way to put it. Dropped her was more like it. Sending her injuries into aching throbs of dull pain. A black light engulfed E.N.D. and he transformed back to Natsu, who all but collapsed on his hands and knees, gasping for breath.

"Natsu, what the-"

"That was too close," Natsu breathed heavily. "He almost got the better of me. If I had stayed...If I had kept arguing with that guy…" he shuddered and covered his eyes with one of his hands as his other gripped into a fist, causing his veins to pop out of his hand and arm.

"Natsu…" Lucy whispered reaching a hand towards him.

He jumped to his feet, turned, and punched a nearby tree, reducing the poor sapling to mere ash in a second, causing his wife to jump.

"Screw everything!" he shouted. "I though I'd figured out how to handle him! But everytime-" his hands and head dropped. Another shuddered coursed through his body, casuing his breath and voice to tremble. "Everytime someone tries to take Nashi from us I just...I just...just...I'm so sorry, Luce."

Lucy stood to her feet, with a little bit of difficulty since her baby bump had set her center of balance off, (not to mention she still had bandages around one of her hands and both legs). She walked (or hobbled) towards him and took one of his hands in hers as he kept his back turned towards her.

"You're a protector, Natsu. You always have been. Even if you weren't, it's only natural for a father to want to keep his child safe." She let out a small chuckle. "Nashi's going to have a hard time dating, though, isn't she?"

"That's not funny, Luce," he mumbled.

Lucy hung her head. "I'm sorry. I was just trying-"

He turned and pulled her into a tight hug, burying his face against her shoulder. "I know. I'm just…"

Lucy gasped as she felt tear drops falling onto her shoulder.

"I'm just so sorry!"

"Natsu-"

"I promised I'd always protect you! Now look where we are!" he cried. "You're hurt, the magic council and a dark guild are after us, I had to drag you to the middle of nowhere because I was going to lose control over that stupid devil, now we're stuck hiding in the middle of nowhere!"

"Natsu," Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck, her good hand gently stroking her hair. "None of this is your fault."

"It doesn't matter!" Natsu shouted. "I still can't keep you safe!"

"Natsu, you're the reason I'm not stuck in Phantom Tail's headquarters right now. In fact, had we stayed at the guild hall much longer they would have probably taken me in by force. You've saved me more times than I can even count."

Natsu tightened his grip on her as tears continued slipping from his eyes, down his cheeks, and to her shoulder.

"We're stuck in an impossible situation, Natsu, I…" Lucy's voice began to hitch as she felt her own tears threatening to spill out. "I honestly don't know what we're going to do."

Natsu hiccuped on his tears as he buried his face deeper into her shoulder.

"But, I know there's no one I'd trust more to go through this with me than you," Lucy assured him, stroking his hair.

"Luce…" Natsu sniffled.

Lucy pulled his head back and began wiping his tears away. He nuzzled his face into her palm, kissing her wrist.

"I just wanted to take care of my girls," he said. "I wanted to keep you safe."

"I know," she whispered, leaning her forehead against his. "I know you do. We'll figure this out. I don't know how, yet, but we will."

"Yeah," Natsu rubbed his eyes on the back of his hand. "Okay."

They just stood there, staring into each other's eyes, foreheads leaned together. Lucy stood on her toes, kissed the tip of his nose, and smiled softly at him. Then her eyes suddenly grew wide and she took a step back.

"What's wrong?" Natsu asked.

Lucy placed a hand to her stomach.

"Is she okay?" Natsu's voice grew slightly panicky.

Lucy jumped, then broke out in a smile. "Natsu!"

"What?"

"C'mere!"

"Um...I'm already here."

"Give me your hand!"

She took his wrist and placed his palm against her stomach.

"Luce, wha-"

"She's moving!" Lucy explained, a bright smile on her face.

Natsu gasped as he pressed his hand closer against her stomach. After a few seconds he felt something lightly push against his hands. The corners of his mouth curled into a smile as he fell to his knees, places both hands on her stomach. He felt the baby's foot or hand bump against his palm again. His smile widened.

"Hey, Nashi," he whispered as the baby began to squirm around inside Lucy. Lucy giggled.

"Say something again," she encouraged.

Natsu smiled. "Hey, can you hear me in there, sweetie?"

"I think she can," Lucy smiled. "She's practically dancing now."

"Yeah, you dancing?" Natsu asked as he leaned his forehead against her stomach. "You dancing for Daddy, sweetheart?"

He felt a particularly hard kick against his forehead. Lucy let out an "oof" as she winced.

"Hey, not that hard," he chuckled. "Mommy's been beat up on enough without you bruising her insides."

Lucy giggled. Natsu pressed a gentle kiss against her belly, then leaned his cheek against her abdomen, wrapping his arms around her waist. Nashi squirmed around again, casuing his smile to widen, before his face grew serious again. He opened his eyes and looked at where they were. On a hillside, in the middle of nowhere, probably in the woods between Magnolia and Akane Beach.

He took a deep breath as he stood back to his feet, scopped Lucy in his arms and began walking.

"Natsu, what are you doing?"

"We're probably about a week's trek from Akane Beach," he replied.

"So?" Lucy arched an eyebrow.

"It's a tourist town. There are people going in and out of there all the time. It wouldn't be hard for us to disappear there for a little while," Natsu explained.

Lucy gasped. Disappear? They were…

"With all the festivals, casinos, fairs and such goning on there I'm sure I can find enough odd jobs here and there to support us."

"Natsu, you realize what you're suggesting, right?" Lucy said.

Natsu turned to her, eyes serious as death.

"I'm not letting them take Nashi away. If that means we've gotta go into hiding so be it."

"What about the rest of the guild? Won't they-"

"I'll send them a note once we get there," Natsu said. "I'm sure they'll understand."

"We can't hide forever, though," Lucy said. "They'll find us eventually. They-"

"We'll worry about that when we get there," Natsu said. "For now I want to get us out of these woods as soon as possible. And since we can't go back to Magnolia, Akane Beach it is. We'll disappear into the crowd, lay low, and then figure out where to go from there."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Here ya go, shrimp," Gajeel dropped another stack of books next to Levy.

"Careful, these are old and delicate!" Levy scolded.

"Sorry!" Gajeel sniffed. "What are we even doing, anyways?"

"Well, we can't just leave without Mr. Heartfelia! Might as well do some more research while we're waiting."

"Oh, yeah, I kinda forgot about him," Gajeel said as he scratched the back of his head. "Where'd he go?"

"He went out to buy us some more food, because we were running low. He should be back-huh?"

"What did you find?" Gajeel asked.

"Look at this…" Levy pointed to a page in her book. "This is a book about lost magic types. This section is on Arc of Time spells, but see here?" she pointed to a missing corner. "One of the spells has been ripped out…?"

"I guess someone only wanted one spell out of this book," Gajeel said. "Or maybe it just ripped. It's an old book."

"But look at this, see how the page is yellow with age?"

"Yeah?"

"Now, see where the rip is?"

"Yeah?"

"It's white. Someone did this recently."

"So someone's been trying to learn lost magic spells?" Gajeel said. "But wh-"

They both turned and shared a glance.

"Why would Phantom Tail need an Arc of Time spell?" Gajeel asked.

"I don't know," Levy said. "If I had any idea what the spell they took was meant to do, then maybe I could figure it out, but…"

"I'm back!"

Gajeel and Levy turned to find Jude walking into the room, a sack slung over his shoulder.

"They were out of grape jam, so I got blackberry, instead, I hope that's-oh!" his eyes grew wide when he saw Gajeel. "Hello, there. When did you…"

He dropped the bag, a scared look on his face.

"What happened? Is Lucy okay?"

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven:**

An owl called somewhere in the night aiar as Lucy leaned her back against a nearby tree, rubbing her hands over her stomach as she watched Natsu tending to fried two freshly caught fish over a fire. She shifted her gaze from side to side, making sure no one was following them or sneaking up on them. So far they hadn't run into any Rune Knights or Dark Guild Members. Now if they could just go unnoticed until the got to Akane Beach they would be okay.

Her brows furrowed as she looked back at her belly. Nashi had stopped moving for now. She was probably asleep. Lucy felt herself smiling despite her worries. Though they hadn't found anyone on their journey, she couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched. She tried to tell herself it was fine, though. Had someone been sneaking around on them Natsu would have heard or smelled them.

Natsu.

She looked up at him. Despite her protests, he'd carried her all day. He refused to let her walk on her injured legs. She appreciated it, but she knew he had to be exhausted. Every now and then, when he thought she wasn't looking, he'd roll his shoulders or rub his arms. There was no telling how sore he was. She reached for the bag at her hip and flipped through her keys. She'd have to call one of them to help her out tomorrow. Natsu probably wouldn't like it, but if he kept carrying her around for the rest of their hike he'd wear himself out. Loke and Capricorn were the obvious choices, but she didn't want to wear them out either. Horologium was great, but a bit slow, and they were moving at a pretty fast pace. In a pinch Cancer would be okay. Scorpio would probably be better, but she was not about to risk Aquarius' wrath!

"Here you go," Natsu walked over to her and passed her a fish.

"Thanks," she said as she took it.

Natsu sat down next to her and rolled his shoulders again.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Natsu replied before stuffing his face.

Lucy frowned, not believing him as she finished her dinner rather quickly. Nashi began stirring around inside of her. Lucy smiled and rubbed her stomach.

"I think Nashi likes fish," she chuckled.

"Yeah?" Natsu asked.

"Mm-hmm, she's squirming like crazy right now."

Natsu chuckled as he reached over and set his hand on her belly to feel their daughter move. Lucy let him run his hand in circles over their stomach for a little while, then gestured for him to sit infront of her.

"C'mere," she said.

"Why?"

"Just come here," she insisted. He scooted in front of her. She placed her hands on his shoulders and began digging her thumbs into his skin. He let out a small hiss as his back curled. Lucy frowned as she flet along his shoulder and neck. She found a rather large knot on the curve between his neck and shoulder. She placed both hands over the spot and began gently kneading at the tight muscles. Natsu flinched slightly and let out a small groan.

"You alright?" she asked.

"Mm-hmm," Natsu nodded.

"You should have let me know if you were hurting," Lucy said as she continued massaging his shoulder.

"I'm fine," he insisted as her hands began travelling down his arm. "You don't have to worry about me Lu-OUCH!"

He flinched as she found a very tight muscle in his bicep and dug her thumb into it.

"You were saying?" Lucy arched and eyebrow as she stretched his arm out parallel with the ground with one hand and continued massaging it with the other.

"Mmm," he grumbled as she began working out the tension in his bicep, before travelling further down his arm, finding some tightness in his lower arm and wrist. She rolled took his hand in both of hers, rolled his wrist around a little while to make sure all the achiness was gone, then brough his fingers to her mouth and kissing his knuckles.

"Luce," he whispered, cupping her chin in his hand. Lucy smiled as he drew her face close to his and brushed his lips against hers.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

"Mm-hmm," he answered, leaning in for another kiss, but Lucy ducked his advances and placed her hands on his other shoulder.

"Good, time to take care of you other arm."

"Aw, not fair, Luce!"

"Stop whining, you'll thank me later."

"Hmph," he pouted before hissing as she found another knot near his neck.

"Gosh, Love, you really should have said something," Lucy scolded.

"Nah, I'm fine," he insisted. "I've had worse scrapes than-Ow!"

"That' doesn't mean you didn't over do it," Lucy scolded. "Tomorrow I'm calling Capricorn to help us out."

"You don't have to do that. Besides, you don't need to drain your magic energy."

"And you can't carry me all day everyday for a week."

"Sure I can."

"Natsu…" Lucy groaned. "You can keep arguing with me but I won't change my mind."

He grolwed as he crossed his arms, only to have Lucy pry them apart to look for any tight muscles along his upper and lower arms. She finished at his wrist and, same as before, kissed his knuckles before placing her hands on either side of his neck and gently feeling for any knots. Natsu arched his head back slightly and removing his scarf, allowing her more easy access. He sighed softly as she worked her magic.

"Hurting anywhere else?" She asked as finished massaging his neck and playfully ran her fingers through his hair.

"No," he shook his head.

"Good," Lucy smiled.

"That doesn't mean I want you to stop," he playfully retorted.

Lucy giggled and continued rubbing his neck, shoulders, arms, and back. He sighed and moaned softly, causing the corners of her mouth to curl up in a small smile. It was nice to see him finally relax, even if it were just for a short while. Despite everything going on she was still able to soothe him with her touch. She watched him continued to relax as his eyelids grew heavy. A small yawn escaped his mouth.

"Tired?" she whispered in his ear.

"Mm-hmm," he nodded.

Lucy sighed as she looked about. "Not really any bed out here, but I guess we should try to sleep.

"Mm-hmm," Natsu nodded as he lied down on his back on the soft grass and held an arm out for her. She smiled as she laid on her side, pillowing her head on his chest. She had to lie at a bit of an angle to accomodate for her baby bump. Natsu draped one arm around her shoulder, and placed his other hand on her stomach. Within seconds he was asleep. Lucy smiled as she heard his breaths even out. She snuggled closer against his chest, letting the steady beating of his heart and his abnormally high body heat lull her to sleep.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Lucy darted out of her sleep.

"Hello?" she asked.

Nothing. She could have sword she heard a voice. No...no, not a voice. More like a...presence?

Lucy looked around her. There was no one in her little corner of the forest other than Natsu, who was sleeping peacefully, softly snoring, both of his hands pillowed under his head. Her head was still laid gainst his chest, slowly rising and falling with each breath. Lucy nuzzled closer to him and closed her eyes, trying to go back asleep. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone nearby.

She sat up. "Hello?"

No answer.

Lucy frowned.

Nashi began stirring inside of her. Lucy looked down at her belly.

"You feel it too, baby girl?" she asked.

Nashi began kicking again.

Lucy wrapped her arms around her belly as she stood up and looked about. There was no sign of any life, no light of the moon reflecting in peering eyes watching her in shrubs. Still, a small pathway leading to the right caught her attention.

"This is crazy…" she muttered as she stepped towards the path and followed it deeper into the forest. It was dark as sin. The moon could hardly force its light through the overcrowded overgrowth and rolling clouds. Lucy clutched her baby bump as she squinted to follow along the path. The presence grew stronger. Lucy squinted harder. Up ahead was a very old, tall, and twisted tree. Lucy stepped closer to it, setting one foot on bumpy and curving roots of the tree. How old was this thing? 100's? Maybe 1,000's of years old? The clouds began to move away, and she could see something shining, buried deep in the twisted roots.

"What's that?" she wondered as she bent down to get a better look. Whatever it was it was either buried deep in the tree or it was dark enough to blend into the night.

"This is stupid," Lucy grumbled as she took a deep breath and reached inside. She felt something thin, smooth, and cold against her hand. She grabbed in a pulled it out. Once she'd pulled her hand out of the tree she opened it.

"A gate key?" she questioned. It was a silver one, but unlike any silve key she'd ever seen. It had two lions standing on their hind legs back to back as the handle. That wasn't in itself so strange, what was was that the entire key was inlaid with pink gemstones. Why would a silver key be so ornately decorated?

"Hm…" she wondered. How did this get here? And why was it calling to her? She looked back at the tree. Depending on how old this tree was this key could have been stuck here for years. It's old wizard was probably dead by now. Maybe the spirit of this key was just desperate to find a new wizard.

"Well," she sighed. "We need all the help we can get right now. If only I knew what your name was…"

She reach for her gate keys, and pulled one out. "Open, Gate of the Southern Cross, Crux!"

The old cross appeared, snoring loudly, but Lucy could tell he wasn't actually sleeping.

"Grandpa Crux, do you know who this key belongs to?" she asked.

"Hm…" Crux opened his eyes. "My, my, my! It's been a long time since I've seen this! This here is the key to the Lion Chariot Cybele. Their last master disappeared about 2,000 years ago and no one's been able to find their key since! Until now that is."

"Aw, poor little guys," Lucy crooned. "They must have been lonely. Well, time to put an end to that. Thanks Grandpa Crux, you can go back now."

"Anytime," the cross sighed as he disappeared with a "poof!"

Lucy looked at her new key, and held it out. "Open, Gate of the Chariot, Cybele!"

A pink light filled the air and in front of her appeared a golden chariot decorated in rose quarts and pink diamonds. Hooked to it were two pink lion cubs. One carried a scroll, the other carried a quill pin.

"Aw!" Lucy squealed as she feel to her knees. "Aren't you two the cutest!"

The cubs purred as they scampered to her, dropping the scroll and quill in front of her. Lucy held out her hands to pet them. They both nuzzled their snouts into her palms.

"Aw, and you're soft too!"

"Lucy!" the very frightened voice of Natsu called in the distance. "Lucy, where are you!"

"Over here!" she called as she continued petting the cubs. She heard Natsu's footsteps race towards her until he appeared behind her and grabbed her a little roughly by the shoulders, jerking her to her feet.

"Don't you scare me like that!" he shouted.

"Sorry, but I found a gate key," Lucy explained as she held siad key up.

"You could have at least told me before you wandered - why are there pink lion cubs? And why are they tied to a wagon?"

"Chariot! And this is Cybele, the spirit for the key I found!"

Natsu let out an exasperated sigh. "Lemme guess, you're gonna contract them?"

"Well, of course! Why wouldn't I."

" _Meow!"_ the cubs called as they began pawing at the scroll and quill.

"Hm?" Lucy knealt back on her knees. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

One of the cubs picked up the quill and dropped it in her lap. Lucy picked it up and the other cub pawed at the scroll.

"You want me to write on this?" Lucy asked.

" _Meow!"_ both cubs began hopping up and down excitedly.

"Well, okay then," Lucy smiled as she unrolled the scroll and scribbled across it:

 _Hello, my name is Lucy Dragneel._

The minute she finished writing the greeting, it began to fade and disappear.

"Huh?" Lucy wondered as a new writing appeared in it's place:

 _Hello, Lucy. I am the titaness Rhea._

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight:

"What?" Lucy gasped as she stared at the writing.

"Wait, the titans are baby lions?" Natsu asked.

The writing disappeared and a new one appeared:

No. Cybele and I are two very different beings, I assure you. They're simply assisting me in communicating with you.

"Huh?" Lucy asked.

"Wait if you're not the lions, then who are you?" Natsu asked. "Are you the tree."

More writing appeared.

No. I'm afraid you won't be able to see or hear me, which is why you finding Cybele was quite the fortunate turn of events.

"Why not?" Lucy asked. "What can't we see or hear you?"

"And aren't you supposed to be dead?" Natsu asked.

Both of those questions have quite complicated answers. I'll start with Lucy's. You are both a part of the Fairy Tail guild, no?  
"Yeah…" Lucy arched an eyebrow.

Therefore you are aware of the fate that befell Mavis Vermillion. For years she was neither dead or alive, but rather caught in a state of limbo, only able to be seen or heard by those who bore the mark of Fairy Tail?

"Yeah," Lucy nodded, starting to see where this was going.

My fellow titans and I are trapped in a similar state. We are not dead, but we're not truly alive either. Only those able to use our magic will be able to see or hear us.

"So...Nashi will be able to see and hear you?" Lucy asked as she placed her hands over her belly.

Yes. Now, as for Natsu's question.

"Wait, how do you know my name?" Natsu asked. "I didn't write it down on no magic paper!"

I'll answer that later. As for your first question, in order to answer that I must first explain what we titans are. We are the offspring of mortal humans and gods. "Demi-gods" I believe is what you call our kind now. Because we are part god we cannot die. However, when we were banished to Tartarus our physical bodies evenutally faded away, leaving only our spiritual bodies behind. Now our spirits are trapped in limbo.

"Gosh, that's terrible!" Natsu gasped. "I'm really sorry to hear that."

Don't be. Our only wish was to serve and protect the people of parents who actually cared for us. By stealing fire from the gods to bring to them we accomplished that goal. Now, with the birth of your child, we'll be able to ensure that the magic we developed for humanity's protection will continue.

As for your second question, we've know for centuries, thanks to the prophecy, how our magic would be brought back to humanity. We knew it would be the first born child of E.N.D. and a celestial wizard. The E.N.D. parent was easy to find, there's only one of you. As for the Celestial Wizard, that was a bit more difficult. Until you two met in Hargeon. I'd just happened to be in the area when you blew up that ship stealing all those girls away. When I saw you two together I knew you were the two foretold in the prophecy, so I've been keeping an eye on you.

"Wait, you've been stalking us this whole time!" Lucy shouted.

"Creepy!" Natsu squeaked.

Don't worry, I haven't been following your every step. I've just made apoint to check in every now and then so that I could be around for when the child is born.

"And...why exactly?" Natsu asked.

I guess you could say it's in my nature. When we took the fire from the gods, humanity had no clue what to do with it. So we each took a flame and developed different spells to showcase the numerous uses of fire. Iapetus forged weapons from solid flames, Lelantos used the smoke produced by fire to hide and disguise herself, I used mine for protection. My flames are meant to keep loved ones and precious things safe. Therefore, when we had to decide which of us eighteen would be the first to encounter the child I was chose.

"First to encounter?" Lucy asked.

Like any magic, she won't be able to use all of this power at once. She'll have to learn it bit by bit. Since my flames are protective in nature we elected that mine be the first she learn as they are the ones that will keep her safe.

"But she already can," Lucy said. "She used it when I was attacked."

Nonsense! That was me!

"What!?" both Natsu and Lucy shouted.

Well, that's a half truth. As I am in limbo I have no magic energy of my own, so I borrowed some of the child's to cast the spell, and then Lucy's to maintain it. I hope you don't mind.

"Well, you kind of saved our lives, so I guess I owe you a thank you," Lucy said.

Your welcome.

"Okay, I've got another question!" Natsu said.

Yes?

"What is with the baby lions? I mean, what's the connection!"

Ah, yes. Well, if there was no fire before we stole it, then we couldn't have been fire wizards before then, could we?"

Lucy gasped. "You were a celestial wizard!?"

We all were. Once we were sent to Tartarus all of our contracts were broken. However, some of our spirits, one for each of us actually, agreed to help us in bringing our magic back to the human world. Cybele was the one of mine that chose to assist me.

Cybele began purring as they snuggled up to Lucy's stomach.

"Now the prophecy's making a little more sense," Lucy said. "You needed one of the parents to be a celestial wizard so you could contact us and explain what was going on."

Indeed.

"What about me, though?" Natsu asked. "Where do I fit into all of this?"  
Ah, yes. Well, there is a reason why most humans cannot use our magic. We are part god, afterall, so our magic energy is a little different than the average human. Little Nashi will not be completely human, will she?

Natsu gasped and took a few steps back.

She'll have a bit of etherious in her. While it's not the same as having the blood of a god in you, it will still give her enough of the, shall we say, boost she'll need to cast our flames.

"So, wait, can I use your magic?" Natsu asked.

No. Unfortunately you have a being inhabitting itself within that prevents you using our flames.

Natsu sighed. "E.N.D."

Yes. Though our flames can be destructive, they were ultimately designed for humanity's benefit. E.N.D. was created for destruction. Therefore the two are not compatible.

"So were all the etherious, so how's Nashi foing to be different if she's part etherious?" Natsu asked.

Oh, that's quite simply. She wasn't created for, or from, destruction. She was created out of love. Therefore those boundaries are not applicable to her.

Lucy suddenly gasped. "Natsu, you realized what this means?"

"What?"

"The Tartarus Flames were designed for good. So much so that anything Zeref created can't use them. It means Nashi's not dangerous! If she was she wouldn't even be able to use this magic. It means Hezim and the Magic Council have nothing to worry about!"

"Try telling that to them," Natsu muttered.

"Please, I'd be happy to hear it."

Natsu and Lucy's insides turned cold as they looked behind them and found Jura approaching them.

"Hello, old friends," he said in a soft voice.

"Oh, no you don't!" Natsu shouted, jumping in between the earth wizard and his wife. "You're not taking Lucy anywhere!"

"Relax, Natsu, I'm on your side," Jura raised his hands in a sign of surrender.

"I had a feeling there was something fishy about that Hezim guy," Makarov's voice called as the short man appeared from behind Jura. "So I tracked down some old friends to figure out what in blue blazes was going on."

"Indeed," Jura's eyes darkened. "Please, sit down old friends, I have much to discuss with you."

Natsu frowned, still suspicious, but he sat crossed legged infront of the two saints. Lucy sat down behind him, reaching her hand around to grab his. He entertwined her fingers with hers and stared straight ahead at the two older men.

"I should start by apologizing," Jura said. "I am so very sorry for the grief that Hezim caused you. Makarov informed me and the other councilmen of the situation he caused. We have had a strong talking to him. He will not be bothering you anymore...for now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Natsu asked.

Jura sighed. "Hezim's job is to protect the magic world. And he is good at his job. A bit too good."

"Meaning?" Lucy asked.

"Hezim is a bit of an...extremist when it comes to the safety of our world. In his mind you are either a threat or you're not. You are either with him or you're against him. There is no middle ground in his eyes. Everything is either black or white."

"How can our baby be a threat when she's not even born yet?" Natsu thundered.

Jura sighed. "I understand your anger. I myself am not happy with him. We sent him there to assess the situation and assist you in your take down of this dark guild. We did not give him clearance to take anyone in for monitoring or observation. That he did of his own volition, and he will be reprimanded for it. However, I highly doubt his interest in your child will diminish after this. Though he cannot take any action against her or your family without risking further retibution from the council, he will no doubt have his eye on you for years to come. Therefore, I'd proceed with caution."

A short silence fell as the young couple processed what they'd heard.

"But he won't try to make me and Nashi in anymore if we go home?" Lucy asked.

"Not unless he wants to lose his job," Jura said in a firm voice.

"So we can go home?" Lucy asked again.

"You can."

"You promise no one from the council will come for our baby," Natsu's eyes narrowed.

"You have my word as a wizard saint," Jura said.

"Something happens I'm coming for you," Natsu warned.

"I'd expect nothing less from the Salamander," Jura chuckled as he stood. "Now, come along. I'm sure you two would be happy to go home."

"Jura and I will be guarding your apartment to make sure that no one comes for you," Makarov said as he began to walk off.

Natsu and Lucy stood, and turned to where Cybele was still seated. The lion cubs brought the scroll back to them and unfurled it. There was another message from Rhea on it.

As I'm sure you've already figured out, there are 17 other titan keys. While I have no issue with Lucy holding onto them for now, it may not be wise in the long run. As these keys will be connected to Nashi indefinately, they should go to a wizard who will be by her side her whole life. As her parents, though you will no doubt protect and care for her with all your hearts, you will not always be there for her. Epimetheus wanred me that letting mortals know of the future is bad, but I think I can let you in with this little secret. In a few years time you two will have another daughter. She will follow in her mother's footsteps and become a Celestial Wizard. Though it is ultimately your choice, I think it would be wise to give the titan keys to her once she is ready.

Once Natsu and Lucy had finished reading the note the scroll and the cubs disappeared.

"Another daughter?" Natsu asked, a bit of fear in his voice.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.

"Am I gonna be the only guy in the house?" Natsu asked.

Lucy giggled. "Aw, you worried about losing your masculinity living in a house full of little girls."

Natsu shook his head. "Can we just get one kid here safely before worrying about another one."

"Can we just get home and sleep in our own bed?" Lucy asked.

"Absolutely!"

Natsu took her hand and they started off after the two saints. Though it osunded like Hezim had been put at bay for now, if Jura was to be believed he'd be back. Still, they'd take this small moment of security for now.

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine:**

It was early morning by the time they arrived back home. Despite her insistance upon calling a spirit to help her on her injured legs, she still ended up riding piggy back on Natsu. Granted, it was a little awkward with her belly sticking out. She had to lean back a little bit to accomdate for the bump. Nashi was always quick to give her mother a swift kick when she started falling forward and squishing her stomach against Natsu's back .

"Yikes! Even I felt that one," he said once they'd entered Magnolia's boundary.

"Ugh," Lucy moaned. "How much further?"

"Not much," Jura promised as they turned onto the street their apartment was located on. Both Natsu and Lucy let out a sigh of relief when they saw their building appear ahead of them. Natsu picked up the pace, ready to get himself and his wife home.

"We'll stay out here while you two get some much needed rest," Makarov said as they reached the front door of the apartment complex. "Though I know you two don't even want to think about attacking Phantom Tail, but we have to start making plans as soon as possible. Try and come by the guild hall when you've rested up."

"Will do, thanks again Gramps," Natsu said as he pushed the door open and started up the stairs, Lucy still on his back. Both let out a sigh of relief as they reached their floor, until they reached their door. The light was on inside, and pooling underneath the door and into the hall. Natsu set Lucy down and motioned for her to stand aside. She shuffled to one side, clutching her keys in her hands. Natsu ignited his fist and then kicked the door down.

"Who's in here?"

"GAH!" A very startled Jude stumbled off the couch and into the floor.

"You?" Natsu asked as he diminished his flames. Lucy shuffled into the apartment, a worried look on her face that disappeared into a look of surprise when she saw Jude.

"Dad?"

"Lucy!" Jude jumped to his feet, raced to her, and snatched her into a hug.

"Oof!" Lucy gasped as her father clutched her to his chest.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" Jude sighed in relief.

Lucy blinked, stiff as a board from shock as she tried to process what just happened. Nashi began squirming inside of her again as Jude let her go and looked down at her stomach.

"Look at you!" he gasped as he stared down at her stomach. "You're blossoming."

"Um...Dad, what are you doing here?" Lucy asked.

"Your iron mage friend told me what happened. I came here as soon as I could to check on you, but you weren't here. I wasn't sure what else to do, I wanted to make sure you were okay so I decided to just stay and see if you'd come back."

A silence fell over the three adults as Lucy and Jude just stared at each other.

"Erm…" Natsu awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Imma...I'm gonna go draw you a bath, Luce while you two catch up." He moved around Lucy and Jude, giving Jude a warning look as he disappeared into the bathroom. The minute he left another silence overfell the two.

"So...um…" Lucy rang her hands together. "...Dad. What's...What's up?"

"Lucy, I-" Jude began, then stopped. He hung his head and took a step back. "Lucy I'm...I'm sorry."

Lucy looked up at her father, a slightly surprised look on her face.

"It would seem that I have taken a wrong turn every step of the way when it comes to being your father. First I practically abandoned you. Then I tried to capture you and use you. I thought the best way to make it up to you would be in finding way to help or save the world, like you were doing in Fairy Tail. That's why I went after the Infinity Clock, why I went after the prophecy. I wanted to prove to you that I was no longer the selfish, money-hungry scoundrel you knew when you were a child. I wanted to do something good for the world rather than take from it. But..."

He turned away and leaned against his hands against the back of a chair. "...I never asked you. I just assumed you'd want to help me with the Infinity Clock because you always wanted to be like the heroes in the books. I took a leap for both of us without asking your permission and hurt you further. Same with the prophecy. I got so caught up in the discovery and implications of it all that I forgot to take a step back and just look at what was happening."

"What was happening?"

"What you'd become," Jude explained, turning back to her. "A strong, intelligent, accomplish young woman. One who has managed to do the one thing I never could."

"And what's that?"

Jude smiled softly at her. "Keep your priorities straight. Your friend, Ms. McGarden told me a lot about what you've been up to these past seven years. How you're an amazing friend, loving wife, and, though she's not born yet, a caring mother. I always let business, discovery, money, success, get in the way of all that. Even when I was trying to prove myself to you, I got too focused on looking for ancient mysteries that I missed the greatest adventure I could imagine, and I nearly pushed you away again.

Lucy hung her head. "If you wanted to prove that you were better you could have just visited or talked to me."

"I know. I just...I was afraid."

"Afraid?"

"I thought you'd reject me."

Lucy sighed. "I guess I gave you good reason to think that."

"This isn't your fault Lucy. I'm the one who rode this off into the ditch. Multiple times," he stepped up to her and took her hand in his. "I know I don't deserve it, but...can we start over?"

Lucy stared at the floor.

"Dad...I...I can't answer that right now," she looked down at the floor. "I want to. I do. But I…"

Nashi stirred inside her, and she placed a hand over her belly. Jude sighed and nodded.

"I understand. You have to ensure her safety first."

"It's more than that," Lucy whispered. "Like you said, you've made a wrong turn every step we've taken together. How do I know you won't do it again?"

Jude flinched slightly. "I'm not saying it won't be difficult. I'm an old man. Changing your ways at this age is difficult. But I'm willing to try and work at it, regardless of your answer."

"I want to believe that," Lucy said. "I wish I could believe that, and maybe some day I will. But right now I can't. I know that may not be fair, but...I…" she squeezed her eyes closed to keep her tears from falling. "Darn it, Dad, I'm still mad at you! For everything! I don't want to be. I don't like feeling like this, but I just...just…"

"Sh," Jude timidly reached out and hugged her. "You don't have to explain, sweetheart. I'm sorry, Lucy. I'm so, so, sorry. You have every right to be angry with me."

"I don't want to be, though," Lucy insisted. "I want us to start over but I don't think I can trust you. Not yet anyway."

"That's alright," Jude released her, a sad smile on his face. "You need time to heal, I understand. Take all the time you need. I'll wait. I owe you that much."

"What if I never heal, though?" Lucy asked. "What if I never get to where I can trust you ever again?"

"You're too good of a person for that, Lucy," Jude smiled. "You've proven that much. Like I said, you take all the time you need. I'll wait. Besides," he gestured to her belly. "You've got more pressing matters to deal with now."

He began walking towards the door. Lucy just stood in place, tears threatening to fall as she stared straight ahead.

"Oh," Jude called, causing her to turn. He was standing right at the door, pulling a brown package out of his coat.

"I got her a gift," he said, placing the package on the doorside table before walking into the hallway and closing the door behind him. Lucy stared at the door for a moment, her mind still trying to process their conversation as she willed her feet to work and carry her to the package on the table. She tore it open. Inside was a red baby blanket. As Lucy unrolled it she saw something attached to one of the corners. She took it in her hands and found that it was a small, stuffed dragon toy. She gasped.

He'd really done his homework, hadn't he? She knew he'd found out that Natsu was E.N.D. but she didn't think he'd dug any deeper than that. Apparently he had, though, at least deep enough to know who Igneel was. This was more than just a gift. It was a peace offering. A sign that he accepted her husband and their child.

The tears that had been threatening to fall since she'd spoken to her father spilled over. She collapsed to her knees holding the blanket to her chest as she sobbed.

"Lucy?" Natsu asked, worried as he raced to her side from the bathroom. "What did he say? And where did he go? I'll disentegrate him!"

Lucy shook her head and placed a hand on her husband's shoulder, unable to speak through the tears. Natsu looked down at her and then realized she was holding something.

"What's this?" he asked as he took it from her, gasping at the sight. "Did he get this?"

Lucy nodded.

"For Nashi?"

She nodded again, still sniffling. Natsu passed the blanket back to her, slowly starting to understand why she was crying. He slipped his arms around her and drew her to his chest.

"Sh, it's okay Love."

"I…" she hiccuped. "I can't...I don't know what to do!"

"You don't have to do anything," Natsu assured her.

"I want to believe him! I want to trust him! I want to start over! I want to! I really do want to, but I can't! I just can't!"

"That's okay," Natsu assured her. "You don't owe him another chance."

"Then why do I feel guilty?" she asked.

"Because you're a good person," Natsu replied. "And even though you don't owe him another chance you'll still give him one. Not today. Maybe not anytime soon. But you will."

"I don't know if I can," Lucy cried.

"That's okay, becaue I do, now come on," Natsu scooped her into his arms. "Let's get you cleaned up."

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty:**

Lucy slowly opened her eyes. Her face was still puffy and throat still sore from crying as she closed her eyes back and groaned, burying herself deep into the mattress of their bed.

"Hey," Natsu's gentle voice came from beside her as she felt his hand run over her hair. "You awake?"

"No," she answered, to which he chuckled.

"C'mon," he said as he pulled her hair out of her face. "We gotta get up."

"No we don't," Lucy grumbled.

"They're waiting for us."

"Let 'em wait."

"Lucy," Natsu sighed. He'd love to just stay here too, but he couldn't. Though Hezim had been put at bay for now, the dark guild was still out there and it was high time they took them down. "We've got some dark guild butt to kick."

Lucy groaned from worry as she forced herself to sit up.

"Let's just hope this goes better than our last attempt."

"Sure it will, we're gonna take them by surprise," Natsu assured her as he helped her out of the bed to get dressed. They didn't say much as they walked to the guild hall. There wasn't much to say. They were both thinking the same though, the same silent prayer. That after today this nightmare would be over.

When they opened the doors to the guild hall they were both shocked and horrified to find-

"Hezim?" Lucy gasped, stepping back and wrapping her arms around her belly.

"What are you doing here?" Natsu asked, igniting one of his fists.

"Don't worry, I'm under strict orders to not touch either of you," Hezim grumbled. "But I've also been ordered that my Rune Knights and I assist you in taking down this dark guild."

"I'll be sure to make sure he behaves," came a familiar voice. Natsu and Lucy both beamed as they saw an old friend appear from behind the Rune Knights.

"Sting!"

"Hey, old buddy, how ya been?"

"Pretty good," the white dragon slayer said. "Rogue sent me a message, so I brought myself and some of our other wizards to help."

"Other wizards?" Lucy asked.

"Hello, you two."

"Minerva!" Lucy ran to hug the dark-haired mage.

"Oh my, you've really let yourself go, haven't you?"

"I'm pregnant, what's your excuse!"

Minerva smirked. "Touche."

"Are we gonna go take on these dark wizards or not! I'm getting so bored I'm tempted to spin all of you just to keep myself entertained!"

"Oh...good," Natsu tried to lie. "You're here too."

"As are we."

"Meredy? Wait...all you guys?" Lucy gasped as all of Crime Sorciere appeared.

"When we didn't hear back from Jellal we figured something was wrong," Meredy explained. "Turns out we were right."

"So, wait," Natsu scratched his head. "We've got Crime Sorciere...Sting, Rogue, Minerva, and Yukino...Lamia Scale's master whose name escapes me-"

"Don't make me spin you!"

"Jura, Ichiya, Nichiya, Ren, Eve, Hibiki, Jenny, and Sherry. Plus all of us Fairy Tail wizards. We might actually have enough to take them down AND save our friends."

"That is the plan," Jura explained. "Given the information Makarov provided me, I do think with the numbers we have now, we can take them, now here's the plan…"

Everyone gathered around a table as Jura explained each part of his strategy and how it would all work together.

"...from there Natsu, Guildarts, Cana, Sting, Rogue, Laxus, Gajeel, Gray, and myself will go to confront Ivan, Jose, and Jiemma. Once we've subdued them Hezim and his men will take them into custody. From there all that will be left will be rounding up the few stragglers who may have escaped."

"Alright!" Natsu cheered. "Now I'm fried up! Let's go!"

"Men, onward! Our glorious victory awaits!" Ichiya ordered, dramatically pointing to the doors.

"Right, sir," the trimen all answered as they began to race out.

"Obviously Lucy and Mirajane will have to stay here," Makarov said to the Fairy Tail wizards, none of whom had left yet.

"Wendy too," Carla piped in. "She hasn't fully recovered yet."

"Hm. Yes. Point is I'll need...let's see...how about two volunteers to stay here with them. Just incase something happens."

"I'll stay," Lisanna offered.

"Good girl," Makarov smiled.

"Juvia, why don't you stay too?" Gray asked.

"What! No! I'm not leaving your side in the midst of a battle!" Juvia protested.

"Babe, you were tossing your cookies all night, you don't need to go into a fight," Gray pointed out.

"Juvia, are you sick?" Lisanna asked, concerned.

"No, I'm fine!" Juvia insisted. "Must have eaten something weird for dinner last night, but I'm fine."

"We ate mac'n cheese for the fourth time this week," Gray stated. "And you didn't get sick the last three times."

"Maybe I'm developing an allergy."

"Not buying it."

"I'm afraid I'll have to side with Gray on this one," Makarov stated. "Juvia, you stay here."

"But I'm fine!"

"It's just a precaution," he turned to the four women staying behind. "Polyusica will be here in about two hours to check on Wendy. I'm sure she'll want to have a look at our mother's to be as well."

"Oh, I'm so excited," Mirajane cheered as she hopped up and down in place.

Farrah appeared from under a table where she'd been hiding, playing with a new doll her new parents had given her and pulled on Mirajane's skirt.

"Mama, are you having a boy or girl?" she asked.

"We don't know yet, darling. Maybe Miss Polyusica will be able to tell us today."

"Alright, everyone," Makarov called. "Let's move out!"

"Oh, are you sure I can't go!" Juvia pouted.

"You're staying, end of story," Gray insisted.

"You're mean!" Juvia crossed her arms.

"You can take it out on me when I get back," Gray smirked as he stole a quick peck from her and began walking off. "Later, stalker."

"I love you, my beloved."

"Love ya too."

"Keep an eye on my wife, okay Lisanna," Laxus ordered as he slipped an arm around Mirajane's waist.

"She's still my sister, you know," Lisanna huffed.

"Yeah, yeah," Laxus replied before turning Mirajane around to kiss her goodbye. "Be back soon, hot stuff." He bent down on his knee to Farrah's level. "See you too, squirt."

"Bye, Papa," Farrah said as she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck.

"Bye, kiddo."

Natsu approached Lucy and wrapped his arms around her. "This'll be over by tonight."

"It better be," Lucy nuzzled her face into his shoulder.

Natsu kissed the top of her head then tilted her face towards him and kissed her lips. "I'll be back before you know it," he promised before bending down and pressing a kiss to her stomach. "Tey not to give Mommy too much trouble, 'kay, Nashi?" he grinned before going off to join the others.

"Love you!" Lucy called.

"Love you too!" he answered back before leaving the guild hall, the doors closing close behind him. The guild hall was eerily quiet with almost no one there. The only sound was Farrah humming to herself as she scampered about, making her doll "fly" above her head.

"So now what do we do?" Lucy asked after a few awkward moments.

"Why not knit?" Mirajane offered. "After all, you and I have two little ones we've got to get ready for."

"I still suck at knitting, though," Lucy whined.

"That's not true, you were getting better," Lisanna stated as she patted a seat next to her. "C'mon, we'll help you."

"Okay," Lucy relented as she sat down inbetween the two sisters.

"I guess I'll join you too," Juvia sighed. "After all, some day soon my beloved and I will have a little Gray of our own, so I might as well get some practice in."

"Sure," Mirajane smiled as she passed out needles to everyone.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Here we are," Rogue whispered as the group approached the entrance he and Laxus had escaped through.

"Looks just like a stump to me," Natsu said.

"That's the idea, flame brain," Laxus mumbled as Jura stepped up to the entrance. He closed his eyes and held out one hand parrallel to the ground and pulled a staff off his back with the other. He closed his eyes and began tracing a line on the ground with his staff. Everyone watched as his staff dragged in a squiggly trail in the dirt. After several minutes he stopped.

"There," he announced. "This is the trail into the headquarters."

"Right," Gray nodded as he and Jura both walked back to the stump door.

"Ready, son?" Jura asked the younger man.

"I'm ready," Gray nodded.

Jura closed his eyes and placed both his palms together. Gray took up his stance, placing one fist against the other palm.

"Rumbling Mt. Fuji!" Jura shouted, causing the ground to split open with a brilliant light.

"Ice make ramp!" Gray called. Within the chasm Jura created, an icy floor formed. A curtain of steam errupted from the ditch. Concussive popping and rumbling deafened all there for a few seconds. When the crackling had died down, everyone gathered around the chasm and looked down. Gray's ice had successfully hardened the lava within the ground, creating a hard, stone, tunnel burrowing safely through the bubbling and molten rock.

"Let's go!" Natsu shouted as he jumped into the chasm, landing on the rock floor. He could still feel the heat of the lava seeaping through the walls and floor, but it wasn't unbearable. He took off running. He could feel and hear some of his comrades (not all though because some, mainly Levy, would stay behind to aprehend anyone who tried to escape) following along behind him as he raced foraward. All the anger. All the worry. All the fear that had been building up over the past few months was boiling over. He saw a wide room infront of him. He picked up the pace and jumped into the chamber.

"Crimson Lotus, Exploding Flame!" he shouted. Two spiralling helixes exploded from his palms. There were about twenty people hanging about withint the room. His attack caught about seven of them, sending them flying into the ceiling.

One of the wizards who had not been caught up in the attack used a requip spell to pull out a gun and take three shots at Natsu. He quickly dogded all three shots, somersaulting to the left.

"Ice make lance!" he heard as Gray appeared in the door and pinned the dark wizard who had shot at him to the back wall, before jumping to Natsu's side.

"So how's about, think you can take out more of these punks than me?" Gray asked.

"Oh, it's on!" Natsu cheered as he raced to a nearby dark wizard. "Fire dragon, Iron fist!" his victim bouned across the floor before plastering against the wall.

"That's eight," Natsu called.

"Ice make, Geyser!" an explosion of ice sent four dark wizards spiralling into the air.

"Ice make, Cannon!" Gray fired off four shots from his cannon, each finding their mark.

"Nine," he shouted to Natsu. "Keep up will you?"

"Hey, I'm just getting started!" Natsu replied, jumping into the air. "Fire dragon, talon!"

"Gray and Natsu can handle this," Makarov stated as he and several of the others amde their way into the chamber.

"You five," he pointed to the Trimen, "Will go that way!" he ordered pointing down a hall

"You five," he pointed to Jet, Droy, Warren, Macao, and Romeo, "Go that way."

"And you four lovely ladies," he pointed to Yukino, Minerva, Jenny, and Sherry. "Will be coming with me that way. Take out any dark wizards you see along the way. Once one of your groups have found the prisoners, have you telepahtic member contact the others and we'll rendevouz back here."

"Right!" Everyone nodded.

"Now let's move out!" Makarov led the charge as each of the groups sprouted down their respective hall ways.

"14!" Natsu called as he knocked out the last of the wizards that initially attacked.

"16," Gray smirked.

"You gotta be kidding me!"

"Quit kidding around before I spin ya!"

"You're already spinning us!" both of the Fairy Tail wizards cried as the Lamia Scale master spun them around, and around, and around.

"I'm gonna hurl!" Natsu whined.

"This is not the time to get motion sickness!" Gray shouted.

"Alright, enough of that," Laxus stated as he set a hand over the older woman's, causing her to release her grip on his two comrades.

The sound of people shouting came from further down one of the halls.

"Looks like we've got company," Gray said.

"We'll handle this," Meredy stated as she and the rest of Crime Sorciere took up battle positions. "You go find the three dark masters."

"Right," Natsu nodded as he, Gray, Gajeel, Cana, Guildarts, Sting, Rogue, and Jura took off through two double doors that looked like they lead to a throne room.

"I don't think I need to inform you all on why I chose you," Jura said as they ran. "You're all S class wizards. These dark masters were strong before they fell off the grid. No doubt in their time away they've gotten stronger. We must be prepared for anything and everything."

"Please," Guildarts rolled his eyes. "I've fought harder enemies in my sleep."

"Right," Cana agreed. "They won't even know what hit them."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Well, well, well."

Crime Sorciere all stared straight ahead as a group of armed men and one, short, purple skinned fellow appeared.

"Isn't this a pleasant surprise?" the purple skinned man mused.

"Who is that disgusting creature?" Sorano asked in disdain.

"Nullpudding," Meredy hissed. "What have you done with Jellal?"

"Oh, that piece of work?" Nullpudding asked. "He's fine. You want him, though? You'll have to take him."

"We plan on it," Macbeth smiled. "Spiral Pai-"

"Needle blast!" Nullpudding shouted, sending a wave of needles towards Macbeth, all of which embedded themselves into his arm. He grunted in pain, dropped the spell, and fell to one knee, gripping his injured limb.

"Macbeth!" Meredy shouted.

"Oh, goodness, my dear boy!" Richard rushed to his injured comrades side.

"Needly wave!" Nullpuding shouted, causing the ground underneath MacBeth and Richard to shoot up into needle like points.

"No!" Meredy shouted.

"Liquid Ground!" Richard screeched, turning the ground to mush just long enough to stop the attack.

"I've about had enough of this," Erik scowled, stepping towards Nullpudding. "Poison Dragon, Roar!"

A red cloud erupted from his mouth, engulfing Nullpudding and his men.

"Wind Magic Palm!" a voice called, sending the cloud back toward Crime Sorciere.

"This isn't good," Meredy shuddered.

"Wha-" Erik stared. "And I can't even eat it because it's my own!"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"This hall way just keeps going," Droy sputtered between pants. "I think I might need to rest here in a minute."

"I told you to start working out," Jet mumbled. "You have no stamina anymore."

"I do to!" Droy agrued. "I was already tired when I got here, though, because I was trying to keep an eye on Levy."

"After all the time you spent with her you can't get it through your thick skulls that she can take care of herself," Macao grumbled.

"Not to mention she's not interested," Romeo grumbled. "She and Gajeel are getting married next month."

"WAH! DON'T REMIND US!" both Jet and Droy sobbed.

"Gee, get a grip will you," Romeo groaned. "It's not like you guys ever had a chance, anyways."

"Romeo!" Macao scolded his son.

"Well, they didn't!"

"Sh!" Warren hissed. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Macao asked as everyone grew quiet.

"I don't hear anything," Jet said. "Other than Droy's breathing."

"Hey, I wasn't-AUGH!" Droy collapsed to the ground.

"Droy!" Everyone shouted.

"My...my magic energy…" Droy whispered. "It's all gone. Just like that…"

"What!?" Macao shouted as he and all the others began desperately looking about. They couldn't find anything that could have drained Dory's power, though.

"Maybe we should keep going?" Romeo suggested.

"Yeah…" Macao frowned. "Might as well."

"C'mon, buddy, up you go," Jet said, linking Droy's arm over his shoulder.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Onward, men!" Ichiya shouted. "I can already smell Erza's sweet parfume! She is close."

"Yes, sir!"

The trimen continued running down their hallway until they happened upon a locked door.

"I've got this," Ren insisted as he raised his hands. "Aerial Phose!"

A cyclone erupted from his palm, blowing the door clean off it's hinges.

"Hey!" a voice called from inside as three guards came rushing forward.

"White Fury!" Even shouted, coating the guards in snow, slowing them down enough to be apprehended by his comrades with ease.

"Good work men," Ichiya cheered. "Now, onward!"

"Yes, sir!"

The trimen all rushed in and found their missing comrades locked in cages. Erza was seated closest to the bars, her head resting on her knees.

"Erza!" Ichiya shouted, running to the cell door.

"Ichiya?" Erza lifted her head, and her eyes widened when she saw the Blue Pegasus wizards rushing towards her. "What are you doing here?"

"Come to rescue you, of course!" he answered as Ren, who had stolen the keys off of one of the guards belt began unlocking the doors to the cages.

"For once in my life I'm actually glad to see you," Erza smiled as Ren opened the door and she stepped out.

"And I you, sweet, sweet, Erz-"

Ichiya went in for a hug, but was stopped by Jellal pushing his hand into the shorter man's face. Ichiya took a step back and Found Jellal staring daggers at him as he slowly draped an arm over Erza's shoulders and drew her close.

"Mine!" he said in a very firm and slightly terrifying voice.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"We've found them!" Hibiki's voice called out in everyone's mind. "They all seem to be fine, but they haven't had a chance to regain their magic energy because of a charm placed on their cells. We'll wait here for them to regain their stregnth and then lead them to the rendevouz point."

"Good work, boys!" Makarov cheered.

"I knew they'd find them," Jenny smiled.

"How's your group doing, Warren?"

"Fine, for now. Although something weird happend to Droy a few minute-AUGH!"

Makarov blinked. "What the crap was that Warren?"

There was no answer.

"I can't feel him through my archive anymore," Hibiki called. "It's as if his magic energy was snuffed out!"

Makarov's eyes grew wide. "Warren? Warren!? WARREN!?"

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One:**

"AUGH!" Warren stumbled to the ground, revealing a tiny, wooden looking puppet sitting on his back.

"What's that?" Macao asked.

"Don't let it touch you," Warren wheezed. "If it does it will steal your power."

The puppet jumped towards Macao and Romeo.

"Romeo, look out!" Macao shouted, pushing his son aside, but in doing so putting himself in the line of the puppet's trajectory.

"AUGH!" Macao shouted as he collapsed to the ground, the puppet chuckling menacingly.

"Dad!" Romeo screeched.

"No, don't come closer," Macao warned.

The puppet jumped towards Romeo. Before it cold touch him, though, Jet raced towards Romeo, grabbed him, and darted off down the hall, far from the little puppet.

"Jet!" Romeo screeched. "You left my dad!"

"I saved you," Jet argued. "Had that thing touched you you'd be done for."

"But what are we going to do, now?" Romeo asked. "We can't just leave them!"

"That...is an excellent question," Jet looked about him. He had no clue where they were… "If only Levy were here. She'd know what to do."

"Seriously, dude, you need help," Romeo grumbled.

"I know!"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Look out!" Erik shouted as the cloud of poison made it's way back towards him and his guild mates. Though he'd be alright, the rest of them-

They were out of the way? One second they'd been in the line of the cloud, now they were lined up along the side of the hallway, safe and sound.

Sawyer leaned against his knees, panting heavily.

"Thanks, Sawyer," Sorano said. "...I'm guessing you got us out of there?"

"Yeah," Sawyer nodded. "Your welcome."

"Enough of this," Meredy glared. "Magulity Sodom!"

Teal, transparent swords headed straight for Nullpudding and his men. All of the guards began writing in pain and collapsed to the ground. Nullpudding, however, dodged every blade and rolled his way to safety…

...right in front of Meredy. His fist doubled in size, spines popping out of his knuckles as he reared back and punched Meredy in the stomach.

"Augh!" Meredy screeched in pain as she flew into the air and slammed into the ceiling.

"Meredy!" Richard held his arms out and caught her as she fell back towards the ground.

"Needle blast!"

Hundreds of needles stuck themselves into Richard's back. He reared his head back and shouted in pain.

"Poison dragon, talon!" Erik shouted as he brough his leg down over Nullpudding, who caught his ankle mid air and threw him aside.

"How is this guy so strong?" Erik thought. "He must have been training like crazy all those years his guild was underground."

"Angel's Messengers!" Sorano shouted, summoning forth dozens of small angels with sharp teeth towards Nullpudding. Nullpudding puffed his body out, covering it in needles that punctured through the angels and destoryed them instantly.

"No!" Sorano gasped.

"See it now?" Nullpudding smiled evilly. "You hae no hope against us. We've been training for years to become strong enough to take all you do gooders out. Now, we'll destory you, and take everything you care about away."

He raised both of his hands over his head, readying another blow.

A yellow light emmitted from down one of the halls. Before anyone could even turn towards it, a ball of yellow light flew towards Nullpudding, ramming into him dozens of times before he fell over on his back. The yellow orb landed in front of Crime Sorciere. The light diminished and revealed-

"Jellal?" Meredy weakly asked.

"Are you all alright?" Jellal asked his guild mates.

"Been better," Erik answered. "About time you got here."

"Apologies," Jellal said. "I got here as soon as I could. Now…"

He stepped forward towards Nullpudding, who was now stumbling to his feet.

"...to deal with this fiend."

He held out his hands, and placed on ontop of the other. "Five Layered Magic Circle: Sacred Song."

Magic circles began forming above Jellal.

"Needle Punch!" Nullpuding shouted, hitting Jellal in the face, only to have to blue-haired man disappear in a puff of smoke.

"What? How?" the purple-skinned man asked.

"Thought projection," Jellal's voice came from behind him. Nullpudding turned to see Jellal wearing a cocky smile. "You missed."

He snapped his fingers, and blasts of magic energy attacked Nullpudding, causing him to convulse and collapse.

"And here I thought you could handle yourselves on you own," Jellal playfully scolded his guild.

"Shut it, blueberry head!" Sorana shouted.

Jellal chuckled, then placed a finger to his hand. "Erza, how are you doing?"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Do you by any chance know where we're going?" Romeo asked as he and Jet continued down the hall.

"Of course I do," Jet insisted in a less than convinging voice.

"No you don't," Romeo sighed.

"No I don't, I have no clue where we are!" Jet screeched.

"Sheesh, dude, that's all you had to say."

"Oh, like you know where we are!"

"No, but I could have helped!"

"You could have helped? You can't even tell your left from you right!"

"That's not true!" Romeo pushed jet against the wall.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"You may be able to get away with talking to Droy like that, but not me!"

"Seriously? You're just a kid!"

"I'm 19 years old!"

"Meaning you still have a 'teen.'"

"Only for one more year!"

The two were so busy yelling at each other they didn't even notice the little puppet stalking towards them. It cocked it's head from one side, to the other, and back again, planning the best way to attack the quarelling wizards. It finally crouched down, readied a pounce, and then leaned forward to jump-

"Requip!"

A sword impaled the little wooden creature, pinning it to the ground. It struggled for a little while, then went limp. Romeo and Jet stopped fighting and turned to face-

"Erza!"

"You two are pathetic," Erza retorted to two and walked towards them. "You're as bad as Gray and Natsu. Where is the rest of your team?"

"They got attacked by that little power draining shrimp!" Romeo explained.

"So go get them," Erza said.

Romeo and Jet raced back down the hallway. Erza shook her head at them when she heard a voice in her mind.

"How are you doing, Erza?"

"Fine," she said. "You?"

"Never better. I've managed to contact Makarov. There is a team heading towards the throne room to confront the three masters. Shall we join them?"

"I'm already headed that way," Erza replied as she took off, requpping into her Heaven's Wheel's armor midstep. She met up with Jellal and the two of them searched until they found Natsu and the others racing through the maze of hallways.

"Erza!" Natsu shouted as he raced towards her. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

"You guys alright?" Gray asked as he raced to Jellal and Erza.

"We're fine," Jellal answered. "So, where is this throne room?"

"Well, you're guess is as good as ours, we've been wandering through these halls for what feels like forever," Laxus answered.

"I feel like we're going in circles!" Sting shouted.

"Maybe we are," Rogue stated.

"I don't think so," Natsu said.

"Why's that?" Rogue asked.

"I've been following my nose. I got this scent when we first came in here. It's faint, but I've been able to follow it."

As if on cue, all of the dragon slayers began sniffing the air.

"Yeah, I smell it, too," Gajeel said.

"It's Jiemma," Sting said. "We're on the right track."

"So let's continue," Erza said. The group began racing back through the curving, maze like hallways. After another five minutes of running about they eventually found another set of double doors. Natsu felt a fresh burst of energy and he picked up the pace. He jumped into the air, kicking the door open as he sailed inside.

"Alright you dark guild freaks, now you've gotta deal with me!"

He'd expected there to be a retaliation. A flurry of attacks headed his way as the dark masters tried to tear him apart. He saw none of that, though. Instead, he found a pool of blood in the center of the floor. Dark liquid trickled down from two of the three thrones in the room. Two bodies laid hunched over the armrests of their chairs.

"What the-" Natsu took a step back, compeltely stunned.

The rest of his team filed in behind him.

"Jiemma?" Sting asked as he began walking towards one of the bodies. Rogue followed him, and the two dragon slayers lowered their old master onto the floor. He was breathing, but barely. His entire body was covered in deep, gushing, gashing wounds. He flinched with each slight movement, breath, or touch.

"What happened?" Rogue asked.

Jiemma moaned, but didn't answer right away. He seemed to be in too much pain.

Erza and Jellal made their way to the second body, Jose. They lowered it to the ground, and Jellal felt for a pulse.

"Gone," he said.

Natsu stared, wide-eyed. Jose was dead? "Some must have gotten here before we did," he said.

"No," Jiemma finally groaned. "No...he turned on us. I should have seen it coming. I should have seen what his plan was, but I was a fool."

"He?" Sting asked.

"Ivan…" Jiemma answered. "He captured your friends and let us believe he was holding them for ransom. In reality it was all a ruse. He used it to draw you here and then tried to off me and Jose so he could go take the child without any resistance."

Natsu's entire body went numb. It was all a huge trap? Ivan knew they would come to save their friends and now he was headed back towards the guild hall to get Lucy!

"Lucy!"

"Mira! Farrah!" Laxus gasped next to him.

"Juvia!" Gray cried from behind them.

Sting turned and looked Natsu in the eye.

"Don't just stand there, go! Go! Go!"

Natsu took off running, his heart beating as fast as lightning. Ivan had just played them all like chest pieces! They'd fallen right into his hands! Laxus and Gray followed after them.

"We'll tae care of this, you two go with them," Guildarts said as he and Cana made their way to Jose's body. Erza and Jellal raced after the three very frightened husbands. Jellal placed a finger to his forehead.

"Ichiya, get the Christina ready. We have to get back to the Guild Hall now!"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"All done!" Lucy cheered as she held up the little square she'd just made.

"Great, Lucy," Mirajane smiled. "Now we've got enough to make a third blanket!" She picked up two of the squares and began stitching them together.

"This is actually kind of nice," Lucy said with a soft smile. "With all the chaos going on Natsu and I haven't really had time to get ready for Nashi."

"It's kind of strange though," Mirajane said as she turned and looked at Farrah who was taking a nap on one of the table benches. "Doesn't seem that long ago that I was a little girl playing with baby dolls. Now I'm all grown up and getting ready to have a real baby."

"It must be amazing," Juvia sighed. "I just hope Gray and I will be having a baby soon."

"I'm sure you will," Lucy said. "When the time's right."

The doors of the Guild Hall began to creak open.

"They're back already?" Lisanna asked as she stood up.

"No, it's probably Polyusica," Mirajane said as she stood up. "I'll go get Wendy."

She walked off and the rest of the women went to greet Polyusica, only to have a very shocking surprise once they saw who was really at the door.

"Ivan!?" Lucy shrieked.

"Lucy, run!" Lisanna shouted as she transformed into her cat form and raced towards Ivan, claws bared.

Ivan smiled evilly and sent out a wave of paper dolls that wrapped themselves around Lisanna, snaring her in a cacoon of shikigami that left only her head exposed.

"Lisanna!" Lucy shouted.

"Lucy, get out of here!" Juvia said as she raised her hands. "Water slicer!"

Ivan effortlessly dodged the blows, making his way towards Juvia and Lucy.

"Okay, I've got-" Mirajane called as she and Wendy entered the main room. Her eyes grew wide as she saw who was there though. "Ivan!"

A black magic circle formed over her.

Ivan smiled evilly and held out both hands.

"Arc of Time, Birth Ritual!" he shouted.

Lucy began reaching for her keys, but she fumbled as she lifted them up and doubled over. A shocking pain began burning through her stomach.

What's happening? What did he do to me? She thought as she clutched her throbbing sides.

"Oh!" Juvia suddenly collapsed next to her, also clutching her belly.

"Juvia?" Lucy asked. What kind of spell had Ivan cast that was causing both her and Juvia so much pain.

The pain began intensifying. Lucy let out a cry of pain. Juvia also groaned in agony next to her. A shout came from behind her. Lucy turned to find Mirajane falling to her knees, clutching her side.

"Mira?" Lucy asked.

"Hm, well this a surprise," Ivan chuckled. "I didn't know there were three pregnant women here."

"Three, wha-" Lucy's voice was cut off as another wave of pain tore through her body.

"I just cast a lost Arc of Time spell over this room," Ivan explained. "As I'm sure you know Arc of Time does not affect people. Well, that's only partially true. There is one exception to that rule when it comes to this particular spell."

He leaned down and cupped Lucy's chin in his hand. "Can you guess what it is?"

Lucy's eyes widened in ear. "No!"

"Yes. I've just sped up your pregnancy. Within a few hours the child will be born and I'll be out of here before those meddlesome fairies can stop me."

"I'm still here!" Wendy declared as she stumbled forward. "I'll stop you! Sky dragon roar!"

Ivan flew back agains the wall as the wind attack hit him. He chuckled menacingly.

"Fight me all you want, but the spell's already been cast. There's nothign you can do to stop it!"

Lucy cried out in pain as he stomach began to grow, tearing through her clothes as it did so. Juvia cried out next to her, her stomach also growing rapidly.

"I...how...I didn't even know!" Juvia screeched as she watched on in horror.

"It'll be okay," Mirajane tried to comfort the other two women as her stomach also began growing rapidly. "Just stay strong."

Wendy looked back at the three women writhing in the floor in pain, and then frowned back at Ivan.

"I may not be able to undo your spell, but I can stop you from taking these babies. Sky Dragon Wing attack!"

Ivan doged this blow with ease, and sent out a barage of paper dolls towards Wendy. Wendy tried to dogde, but tripped over her own feet and landed face first onto the ground. The dolls swirmed around her, slicing at her skin, casuing her to cry out in pain.

"No, Wendy!" Lucy called as she pulled out one of her keys. "Open, Gate of the Scorpion, Scorpio."

"Wicked!" Scorpio shouted as he sent forth a burst from his tail, sending Ivan flying into the wall, yet again. The attack on Wendy ceased ans she pulled herself back on her feet.

"Sky Dragon Crushing Fang!" she shouted as she darted towards Ivan, striking him with the powerful wind attack.

Lucy pulled out another key.

"Open-AUGH!" she screamed as another wave of pain coursed through her body, Juvia and Mirajane also shouting in agony.

"Open, Gate of the Lion, Leo!"

Loke appeared in front of her.

"Lucy?" he asked in horror. "Lucy, what's happening to you?"

"No time to explain, help Lisanna," Lucy said.

Loke raced towards Lisana, tearing at the dolls keeping her prisoner. Once she was freed she ran to Mirajane's side.

"Mira!" she shouted as her sister continued writhing in pain. She turned back to Loke.

"We have to get them out of here and into the healing ward."

"Right," Loke nodded as he slipped one arm under Lucy's shoulder, and the other under Juvia's. Lisanna helped her sister up and they guided the three women to the healing ward, laying them all on beds.

"Just hang tight," Lisanna said. "We'll guard the doors, just hold on. Everything will be okay."

Lisanna and Loke raced outside, closing the doors to the healing ward behind them. Lucy stared after them before curling up into a ball of pain as another burning sensation shook her entire being. She cried out in pain.

This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't!

But her stomach was still growing, and the pain kept increasing. There was no denying it. Thanks to Ivan's spell her little girl would be born today.

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty-Two:**

"Sky dragon, Roar" Wendy shouted as a burst of wind erupted from her mouth. Ivan somersaulted out of the way with ease, his evil smile never fading. Wendy's head spun and her legs buckled slighty, but she forced herself to keep standing. She still hadn't fully recovered from her concussion.

"Hang in there, blue-belle!" Scorpio shouted as he sent another blast towards Ivan, who again dodged the attack. "We're the only two here to stop him so we gotta stay strong!"

"Right," Wendy nodded, taking in a deep breath. "Shy Dragon, Wing Attack!"

Four mini cyclones burst from her palms. This attack managed to hit Ivan, sending him airborne.

"Yes!" Wendy cheered, but here eyes grew wide in horror as she watched Ivan spin himself around with assistance from the wind burst and land on his feet upon the second story of the main room.

"Man, this guy just won't stay down will he?" Scorpio exclaimed.

Wendy put a hand to her forehead. She was getting dizzier by the moment, but she had to keep fighting. She jumped as high as she could, using her sky magic to propel her towards Ivan.

"Sky Dragon, Claw!"

Ivan caught her ankle before she could finish the attack and flung her down the stairs leading up to the second story.

"Wendy!" Scorpio shouted, before pointing his tail back at Ivan. "Totally not cool, dude!"

Wendy finally stopped her tumble at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ouch!" she groaned as she clutched the ankle Ivan had grabbed, which was now throbbing. He'd twisted it at best, probably broken it. Her dizziness was even worse now. She couldn't see straight.

"Are you okay, Miss Wendy?" a soft voice called.

Wendy gasped as she looked up. "Farrah, what are you doing here?"  
The little girl clutched her doll closer to her. "I hid under the table when the bad man came in. Where's Mama?"

"Farrah, you've gotta get out of here!" Wendy said.

A fluttering noise came from behind her. Ivan was sending out a wave of flaming paper dolls towards Scorpio. The spirit managed to blow them all back away from himself, but the attack did push him back a few steps.

"I wanna help," Farrah insisted.

"No, Farrah, it's not safe, you've gotta go!" Wendy insisted, but the little girl had put her doll down and held both of her hands out. Cackling emmitted from her finger tips as two small lightning bolts began forming.

"Farrah, don't!" Wendy screamed.

"Lightning blast!" Farrah shouted, sending two tiny bolts towards Ivan's head. The attacks made their mark and hit him in the side of the face, knocking him off his face.

"Good work, kid!" Scorpio shouted before yelling "Sand Spear!" and sending a thin, but sharp, strain of sand towards Ivan. The attack blew a hole in the second story railing, but did nothing to Ivan, who had already moved out of the way. He jumped down from the overhanging balcony and landed in front of Wendy and Farrah.

"Where'd you learn that, girly?" he asked a very terrified Farrah.

Wendy struggled to get to her feet, but when she couldn't stand she crawled in front of Farrah and stretched out her arms.

"Don't touch her!" she screamed.

"So Laxus has a student now, does he? And he's sent you to do his dirty work. Pathetic," Ivan raised a hand. "Maybe this will teach him a lesson."

Wendy braced herself for the attack, hoping her body would be enough to shield Farrah.

"Shikigami Torrent!" Ivan shouted.

"Sand Wall!" came Scorpio's voice. In a flash the spirit appeared infront of Wendy and Farrah, blocking them from the attack. Sadly his defense spell was too slow, and the paper dolls cut through him, causing him to shout as a gold light began emmitting from the wounds.

"Scorpio!" Wendy shouted.

"Sorry, blue-bell, looks like you're on your own now," Scorpoio apologized as he was forced back into the Celestial world.

Ivan grinned evilly as Scorpio vanished. "So that was a Celestial Spirit. That means she's still here…"

"Sky dragon, Roar!"

Wendy blasted Ivan into the air, but he landed on his feet a few steps ahead of her.

"Farrah, I'm serious now, get out of here!"

"No!" Farrah screamed, "I can't leave you!"

"He's to strong, Farrah, you have to go," Wendy said. "Go get help. And Hurry!"

"But what about you?"

"I'll be fine."

"Don't lie to the child," Ivan hissed as he began sauntering forward. "You'll be lucky if you get out of here alive Sky Maiden."

"Sky-" Wendy's voice cracked as her head began pounding.

"You were already injured when you got into this fight. Now you're even weaker."

Ivan kicked her in the side of the head, sending her flying across the floor and into a table.

"Miss Wendy!" Farrah shouted, before frowning up at Ivan.

"Lightnign Blast!"

Ivan caught this attack in his palm.

"Don't worry, pipsqueak, I'll get to you in a minute," he growled.

"Ar-arms!" Wendy squeaked as she held out a hand towards Farrah.

A yellow aura began glowing around the little girl. Her eyes grew wide, but she took the opportunity ad attacked again.

"Lightning blast!"

These bolts were much bigger than they had been before and sent Ivan stumbling back onto his back. He quickly recovered, though, and glared at the child.

"Now run, Farrah, this is your chance, go!" Wendy cried.

Farrah couldn't move, though, she was scared stiff by the horrifying man running towards her.

"Why you little brat!" he shouted as he grabbed her by the scruff of her shirt and held her above his head.

"No, don't hurt her!" Wendy begged as she began crawling towards them.

"Just who do you think you are?" Ivan demanded. "To think you have the right to try and attack me!"

"You hurt my Mama!" Farrah shouted. "You did a bad thing!"

"Your Mama?" Ivan arched an eyebrow, then grinned evilly. "Well, then, she shouldn't have joined such a pathetic guild. Gotta, admit, though. I like your spunk kid. I only came here for the child with Tartarus Flames, but maybe I'll bring you along too."

"No!" Farrah shouted. "I wanna stay with my Mama and Papa!"

"Leave her alone," Wendy begged as she reached Ivan and grabbed onto his leg. "Let her go!"

"Shut up, you, I'll get back with you in a minute," Ivan kicked Wendy in her face, sending her rolling backwards.

"Miss Wendy!" Farrah screeched. "Leave her alon you big meanie! And put me down!"

"Afraid I can't do that," Ivan said. "But you should be thanking me. I'm saving you from a lifetime of mediocrity. Now-" he finally dropped Farrah and cacooned her in his paper dolls. "-Stay put while I finish business here."

He sauntered back over to a moaning Wendy.

"No, don't hurt her!" Farrah begged.

Ivan raised his hand. "Shikigam-"

 _CLANG!_

Ivan's eyes rolled in the back of his head and he stumbled to the ground.

"I may be a horrible father, and a rather despicable individual overall," a familiar voice called. "But even I wouldn't attack an injured young woman and small child."

"Mr...Mr. Heartfelia?" Wendy asked as she turned and saw the man in question clutching a frying pan in his hand. He dropped the utensil as he knelt down next to Wendy and helped her up.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I...I've been better," Wendy half-joked as she smiled.

Ivan helped her limp over to Farrah, who they then worked together to free from her paper prison.

"Thank you, Mr.," Farrah cried as she stood to her feet.

Ivan began groaning and pushing himself back up.

"You two need to go," Jude said. "I'll distract him while you get away."

"No," Wendy said. "He's too strong for you! You'll be killed!"

"You two are in no position to fight," Jude said. "Besides, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

"But, Mr. Heartfelia-"

"Trust me on this," Jude said. "I'll be fine, but you two have to go."

"But-"

"If you won't leave for yourself, do it for the child."

Wendy bit her lip as she looked to Farrah. She sighed. She couldn't let Farrah stay here and be taken by Ivan. She had to protect her.

"Okay," she finally said, forcing herself onto her feet and taking Farrah's hand. "But as soon as I get her to safety I'm coming back for you."

"Good girl," Jude nodded as he stood up and walked to a still stumbling Ivan, Wendy and Farrah limping off towards the healing ward.

"You…" Ivan pointed to Jude. "How dare you!? You're not even a wizard and you think you can come here and oppose me?"

Jude reached into his coat pocket.

"Did you really think you stood a chance against me? You're nothing!"

Jude pulled something from his pocket and threw it at Ivan. Ivan caught it mid air.

"What's this?" he looked into his palm. "A Lacrima?"

 _Boom!_ The tiny sphere suddenly exploded in Ivan's face sending him stumbling backwards. The blast temporarily blinded and deafened him. He all but growled as he came to, looking around viciously for the man who'd attacked him.

"Where'd you even get those?"

"Oh, I found a small collection of them during my travels," Jude answered from the second story. Ivan turned to find him leaning over the balcony, holding another of the exploding lacrimas in his hand. "I've been saving them for a rainy day. Here, care for another?"

He tossed the second lacrima at Ivan's feet. The small sphere exploded into a cloud of blue dust. Ivan coughed and sputtered as he stumbled towards the stairs, storming up them. By the time he reached the second story, though, Jude was gone.

"Where are you!? You little worm!" Ivan sputtered. "Do you even have any idea who you're dealing with!?"

The sound of something rolling across the floor caught Ivan's attention. He turned to find another lacrima rolling from the doorway that led to the roof. Ivan ran to grab it and chuck it back where it came from, but it exploded the minute he touched it, sending him rolling back. He collided with a table and grolwed as he stood back to his feet and ran to the staircase. He bounded up the stairs to the roof. As he threw the trap door open though he got caught in a see of glowing white words floating in the air.

"Ach!" he sputtered as he waved his arms around to get through the sea of scribbles. "Lacrimas and a Light pen? That's how you plan on taking down the great Ivan Dreyar?"

As he kept pressing oward, he felt something circular under his foot. Another lacrima exploded underneath him. The blast was enough to create a hole in the roof that his foot fell through. Ivan groaned in pain as he pushed himself back up and kept limping forward through the sea of glowing scribbles.

"You can't win," he hissed. "The best you can hope to accomplish is slow me down by a few minutes. But it won't matter. In the end I'll still have that child, and my vengeance against Fairy Tail will begin!"

"All this for a little vengeance?" Jude asked from somewhere on the roof. "Sounds to me like some has their priorities all mixed up."

"Silent you!" Ivan shouted as he stumbled toward the voice, stepping on another lacrima that sent him on his back. He grumbled as he pushed himself back up. This time, however, he caught something. The sound of someone running behind him.

"Shikigami Torrent!" he yelled.

The paper dolls cut through the glowing lights, freeing his vision to watch in hideous pleasure as the doll cut across Jude's skin. Jude cried out in pain as the dolls pounded into his back, causing him to fall to the ground. He had no choice but to roll up into a ball and shiled the back of his head with his hands as the paper dolls continued slicing at him until he was covered in bleeding gashes. Ivan smiled in gross pride as he sauntered over to Jude, kicing him onto his back and pressing his foot into his chest.

"Pathetic," he smirked. "Though I will admit, it was a good effort."

Jude slowly opened his eyes and winced in agony as he stared at Ivan.

"You just didn't have a chance in hell against me," Ivan hissed.

Jude frowned, grabbed Ivan's leg, and rolled, sending Ivan crashing on his back and rolling down the roof. As he stopped rolling her felt something small land against him. He turned just in time to see another lacrima explode, which sent him rolling dangerously close to the edge of the roof. Rather than be angry, though, Ivan laughed as he walked back to Jude who was struggling to stand.

"You're still fighting! You don't get it, do you? You already lost!" he cackled louder when he heard Jude groaning in pain. "Look at you, you can't even stand!"

Jude huffed for air as he dove forward, locking his arms around Ivan's ankles. Ivan stumbled a bit but didn't fall, and laughed again.

"Now what? You're going to defeat me by grovelling at my feet. Get off!"

He tried to kick Jude free, but he wouldn't let go.

"I said get off!" Ivan smacked him across the head, but he headl on.

"Get off! Honestly, you think you'll win this way?"

A warm breeze blew over the men. This time Jude was the one to smile.

"No," he answered as he looked up at Ivan and smirked. "I just needed to keep you up here a few seconds longer."

Ivan frowned in confusion and turned to look about him. He barely had time to gasp before, from behind him, a terrifying creature with twisting horns, dragon like wings, talon like arms, and black markings charged straight into him. Jude fell flat on his face and covered his head with his hands and a burst of flame exploded from the creatures hands as it grabbed Ivan, did a flip in the air, and then dove down, driving Ivan through the roof, the second story floor, and finally smashing him into the ground, brekaing a crater into the first story floor. Jude crawled over to the hole and looked down, smiling at his son-in-law.

"Get him, son!"

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty-Three:**

 **A _N: WARNING! This fight's gonna get bloody! If you get queasy you may want to skip this one._**

Ivan groaned as he stood up and crawled out of the hole in the floor.

"What on ear-" he wondered as he looked up and saw a horrifying creature with pure black eyes waiting for him. Ivan felt a small shudder course through is body.

"E.N.D.?"

The creature let out an earpiercing roar as it dove towards him, fire emitting fron it's claw like finger tips as it raked them across his chest, creating four searing wounds. Ivan shouted in pain as he flew back into the bar, hitting his head on the hard wooden surface before bouncing into the liquor bottles. He quickly stood to his feet.

"Dark Ecriture, barrier!" he shouted as the creature bounded towards him. E.N.D. jumped towards him but bounced off the barrier, and flipped back onto his feet. Ivan let out a small sigh. He was safe.

"Shikigami Torrent!"

The dolls flew from his hands towards the monester. E.N.D. opened his mouth and sent out a blast of fire that reduced the dolls to ash in an instant and catching the bar on fire. Ivan took a step back. Now what? If he left the barrier he'd be a sitting duck, but if he stayed he'd be burned to a crisp. E.N.D. raced towards the barrier again, clawing at it with it's talon. To Ivan's horror the black encriptions began bending and breaking under his grasp.

"No...he's tearing through my barrier?" Ivan gasped as the dark ecriture shattered into a million pieces and feel to the ground. E.N.D. reached forward, grabbed him by the scruff of the shirt and slammed him back into the ground, creating another barrier. It never let go of Ivan, though. Instead, the minute he'd hit the ground the creature spread it's wings and took off into the air. It flew him through the hole he'd created earlier and soared a few feet above the guild hall before releasing him and punching him with a flaming first in the chest. Ivan cried in pain and fear as his chest burst into fire and he jetted back through the guild hall, creating another hole. Thankfully, the speed of his descent was enough to put the flames on his torso out. Unfortunately, that made the impact with the ground all the more painful.

His vision and hearing disappeared. He blinked to rid himself of his impairment as blood oozed from his nose and ears. His vision came back just as E.N.D. was feet above him, both flaming arms raching for him. Ivan held out his hands.

"Dark Ecriture, shield!" he shouted. The enchantment was enough to stop E.N.D. from grabbing him. The monster's frown deepened and it growled at him as it pushed down on the shield, causing cracks to appear in it. Ivan struggled the somehow get out from under the beast.

"Dark Ecriture, sword!" he shouted. A series of black runes in the shape of a blade appeared in his right hand. While his left still held his shield, he tried to swing at E.N.D. The creature was still pushing on the shiled with both hands, so it could defend itself. At least that's what Ivan hoped.

E.N.D. snapped its head around catching the blade in it's teeth, shattering it with one bite.

"No!" Ivan gasped as he froze. E.N.D. leaned forward and caught Ivan's wrist in his mouth, it's fangs digging into his skin. Ivan howled, letting his shield disappear as E.N.D. stood to it's feet and jerked it's head side to side like a dog trying to kill it's prey. Ivan flopped from side to side in the air like a ragdoll, yelping and screaming as the creature's dagger like fangs deeper and deeper into him. He felt a pop and his elbow and went flying into the wall. Ivan's head spun. He tried to push himself up, but couldn't. When he tried to put preassure on his right arm he simply fell. He turned, and screamed in horor when he saw that his arm from the elbow down was gone. He looked up. E.N.D. stood where he had been before, Ivan's arm at his feet, as he wiped the blood off his mouth on the back of his hand, black eyes piercing him with their hatred.

"I warned you what would happen if you came after my family," E.N.D. snarled as two trails of fire began crawling their way from his feet to Ivan. "Now you're gonna pay!"

Ivan tried to back away as the flames wrapped their way around his legs, searing through his clothes and skin. He screamed, writhed, struggled. Beating the flames with his one remaining hand to try and put it out. He didn't even notice E.N.D. flying towards him until it's claws raked across the right side of his face. He blinded by the pain, clutching his bleed mess of a mug. When his vision returned, it only returned to one side. Even when he removed his hand, he couldn't see out of his right eye...if it was even still there.

E.N.D. grabbed him by the neck, it's claws cutting through his skin as it reared back and punched him in the face, right where it had just mauled him. Ivan howled as he flew up into the ceiling. He coughed up blood as he fell back to the ground.

"Not looking too good," E.N.D. snarled in the same demonic like voice as before. "I'll bet your insides feel like mush by now. And your legs…"

Ivan looked down at the now black, charred sitcks he could never hope to walk on again.

E.N.D. clicked his tongue. "I don't think there's any saving those. They'll have to be amputated. Or they would…"

He grabbed Ivan's head, his claws closing like a cage around his face as he lifted him up.

"...but what's the point in doing surgery on a dead man?"

Ivan clawed hopelessly at the talon like hand as his useless legs swung underneath him.

"Please," he begged, tears falling from his one good eye. "Please, have mercy."

"Too late for that," E.N.D. hissed.

"I'll leave," Ivan promised. "I'll never come back."

"And why should I believe you?" E.N.D. asked tightening his grip on Ivan's head. "You've been nothing but a thorn in our side for years. It was kinda amusing for a while, but now you've gone too far."

"Please!" Ivan sobbed as the claws cut through his skin once again.

"I can't ensure my child's safety until you're gone, so I'm afraid you'll have to go…"

"STOP! Please!"

"No…" E.N.D. hissed. "Maybe I won't kill you yet, afterall, we still have fun we could have."

"No," E.N.D. shouted at...himself? "Let's just finish him. We didn't come here to get a sick thrill from torturing him."

"But that's what we've been doing this whole time."

"Yeah, to send a message. Now that the point's been made let me out! I'll finish him."

"Hmm...no! You really are too noble. Just this once, give into the darkness a bit, will you?"

"Gimmee my body back, you devil!"

"Why? You let me take over."

"Because you could get here faster and do the job! I didn't want you to-"

"Well, what did you expect?"

The guild hall doors burst open. Hezim and the Rune Knights filed in.

"Get out of here," E.N.D. didn't even look away from Ivan as it pointed a clawed finger from it's other hand at the knights. "This is between me and him."

"I'm here to take him into custody," Hezim said.

"That won't be necesarry," E.N.D. hissed. "I've got something a little more permanent in mind."

"You can't kill him!"

"Oh, really?" E.N.D. arched an eyebrow. "And why not?"

"I'll have to cahrge you with murder if you do," Hezim explained.

"Seriously?" E.N.D. asked. "After everything this punk has done I think I'd be doing you a favor…"

"Natsu!"

Gray, Laxus, Erza, Jellal, Gajeel, and Levy appeared behind the Rune Knights.

"You're letting him get the better of you," Gray shouted.

"Am I?" E.N.D. asked.

"Yes! This is a little too sadistic, man. Even for you!"

"Besides," Levy called. "He's not worth going to jail over. Think about Lucy and Nashi! They need you here!"

At the mention of his wife and daughter's names, the creatures eyes lightened a bit, bits of white appearing.

"Just let him go, look at him," Laxus said, gesturing his hand to his deadbeat dad. "One arm, one eye, no legs. He's not gonna be able to hurt anyone anytime soon."

"Besides," Gajeel shuddered slightly at the sight of Ivan. "Dontcha think it would be crueler to let him live like this than put him out of his misery?"

More white appeared, allowing his irises to be distiguished from the rest of the eye. E.N.D. shook his head violently from side to side as it dropped Ivan. Ivan cried out in pain and curled into a ball, sobbing pathetically.

E.N.D. took two steps back, clutching his head.

"No...stop...ERGH!...LET ME FINISH HIM!...No, you did your job now let me out!...I'm not done!...Yes you are!"

A black light engulfed him and he changed back to Natsu who collapsed to his knees gasping for breath.

Hezim ordered his men forward. They scopped the shuddering Ivan up and carried him out.

"I won't forget about this," Hezim warned as he watched Ivan be carried out. "I'll be keeping a close eye on all of you Fairy Tail maniacs from here on out."

"We'd expect nothing less," Gray smirked as the last of the Rune Knights filed out, Hezim bringing up the rear. Once they were gone Erza walked to Natsu's side and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Natsu?"

"I let him…" Natsu gasped. "I let him take control. I was just so angry that I didn't care. I wanted him to die! I didn't mean to torture him like that, though. I mean...I kinda did. I let E.N.D. take over. I knew he'd do something messed up. But I-"

"You got control back, though," Erza said. "You snapped out of it. You proved you were the stronger of the two."

"I almost wasn't, though," Natsu shuddered. "And I was an idiot! I knew better than to let him take the reigns! What if I couldn't get it back! What if I went through with it! Hezim would have ahuled me off instead of Ivan and-"

"Sh," Erza hugged him. "That's all in the past now. Don't drive yourself crazy with 'what-ifs.' They don't matter. What matters now is that it's over."

Natsu nodded slowly as he returned the hug.

"So...where are the girls?" Gray asked.

Natsu looked about. "I don't know."

Footsteps came from down the hallway. Natsu turned and saw Lisanna running towards them. "Natsu! Laxus! Gray! You need to come quick!"

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty-Four:**

Lucy gasped for breath as the pain momentarily dissipated. She opened her eyes. Was...was it over? She looked down at her stomach. She was huge! It had stopped growing, though, which is probably why the pain had stopped. Mirajane and Juvia were still writhing in pain, next to her though, their stomachs still growing.

She forced herself to sit up. "Mira? Juvia? Are-"

She grunted as she felt a dull cramp in her side and a tirckeld of liquid running down her leg.

"Oh, no!" she gasped. "No, no, no, not yet! Not yet! Just wait a little while longer, sweetie! You've gotta wait until Daddy gets here and stops Iv-ow!"

She hissed as her sides began cramping. It was no sue begging. The spell may have run its course, but that only meant that she was now in labor.

"Try...try to breathe through it," Mirajane encouraged from where she laid to Lucy's left, tears of pain running down her face.

"I'm sorry, guys," Wendy whispered from where she and Farrah had laid upon a bed across from the three women when they'd retreated into the healing ward. "If only I had attacked sooner maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"It's not your fault. Besides, We''ll be fine," Mirajane assured her. "We just-" her voice cut off as she groaned in pain.

"I can't believe this is happening!" Juvia screechd. "I didn't even know! Oh, what will Gray say!"

"I'm sure he'll be happy," Mirajane assured her. "Shocked, no doubt, but happy."

"We have nothing for a baby, though," Juvia sobbed. "We haven't even talked much about-OOOH!"

The doors to the healing wards suddenly burst open. Lisanna raced inside, behind her were-

"Natsu!"

"Laxus!"

"Gray, darling!"

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted as he raced to her side, eyes growing wide as saucers a the sight of her stomach. "What on-"

"Like I told you," Lisanna explained. "Ivan cast a spell that sped up all their pregnancies!"

"I think the spell's already run it's course on me," Lucy said as Jellal, Erza, Gajeel, and Levy ran into the room. Another contraction hit and Lucy tensed up.

"Wai-What's that mean?" Natsu asked, shaking slightly as he watched Lucy grit her teeth.

"I think it means that I'm, oh, that I'm in labor."

"YOU'RE WHAT!?"

"Mira!" Laxus raced to his wife's side.

"Laxus, thank Mavis," Mirajane sighed as her husband grabbed her hand, tears running down her cheeks.

"I guess since she and Juvia weren't as far along as Lucy it'll take longer for the spell to finish up on them."

"What do you mean Juvia wasn't as far along as Lucy?" Gray asked, eyes growing wide at the implications.

"Well, um…" Juvia pulled the blanket covering her belly back to reveal a rapidly growing bump.

 _THUNK!_

Everyone gasped and turned as Gray fainted and hit the floor harder than a bag of rocks.

"Gray!" Juvia cried.

"Oh, dear," Jellal muttered as Erza raced to the ice wizard and began violently shaking him.

"Gray, now is not the time to grow faint! You're about to become a father!"

"I don't think that's going to help," Wendy stated, smiling nervously.

"Ergh…" Gray groaned. "This is a dream right?"

"Afraid not," Erza said as she helped him sit up.

Juvia cried out in bed as her stomach grew even more. Gray took one look at her and passed out again.

"Fullbuster, pull yourself together!" Erza cried. Jellal knealt down next to her and began fanning Gray in the face.

The doors opened again and in walked Polyusica.

"What in all of Earthland is going on here!?" she thundered.

"Polyusica! Perfect timing!" Lisanna sighed as she raced up to the older woman and explained the situation.

"Hmph!" Polyusica grunted as she walked to Mirajane, the one closest to her, and began checking her out. "And where is Ivan now?"

"Being hauled away by the Rune Knights," Laxus answered. "Well, what's left of him that is."

"He's gone?" Lucy gasped, turning to Natsu, tears in her eyes. "Is it over? Is it actually over?"

Natsu nodded. "It's over," he answered craddling her face in his hands. "They're gone. Nashi's safe."

Polyusica came over to Lucy and checked under the blanket.

"Yup, you're already dialating," she said before moving onto Juvia, frowning in disgust at Gray who was still sprawled out in the floor. She checked her out, then turned back to the group at large.

"Lucy's already in labor. Mirajane and Juvia still have a while to go before the spell's finished with them. Still, it's best we get all three of them to a private room so as to minimize stress on them. Hmm…" she looked about the room. "Normally I'd be able to handle a birth on my own, but seeing as we've got three going at once and under strange circumstances, not to mention all the injured we have here, I'll need some help."

"I'm out!" Gajeel shouted, raising his hands above his head and he ran out of the healing ward. "Put me in an arena with 18,000 dragons and I'll be good, but I ain't birthing no babies!"

"And the world heaves a sigh of relief," Polyusica muttered before looking back around the room. "Lisanna, no doubt you'll want to help your sister. Fine by me. Levy, you're a well read individual, you can lend us a hand, can't you?"

"Oh...um...I can try," Levy squeaked.

"Good, you'll go with Natsu and Lucy. I suggest you try and get her to a private room seing as soon we won't be able to move her."

"C'mon, Luce," Natsu said as he took one of her amrs in his hands and helped her to her feet, Levy taking the other side.

"We'll get you taken care of Lu-Lu."

As they shuffled out, Polyusica turned back to where Gray still laid in the floor, Jellal fanning his face and Erza snapping her fingers over his head. She sighed.

"This is far from ideal but I'm afraid I have no choice. Erza, Jellal, you'll be helping Gray and Juvia."

"You've gotta be kidding me, man! Those two!" Gray shouted as he sat straight up, eyes wide.

"My darling, you're okay!" Juvia cried.

Gray went cross-eyed and fell back again.

"Gray!" Juvia screeched.

"He woke up just to disapprove of us!" Erza shouted.

"Erza?" Jellal asked.

"Yes?"

"When we have children…"

"Yes!?"

"Feel free to slap me if I faint on you."

"Don't worry, I will."

Polyusica rolled her eyes. "This is going to be a long day!"

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Lucy stopped midstep and let out a loud groan of pain as another contraction hit.

"Easy, Lu, easy," Levy encouraged, rubbing her friend's back. "It's going to be okay."

"Holy smokes, this is actually happening isn't it!?" Natsu squeaked. "Oh, I don't think I'm ready! I'm not feeling so good!"

"Don't you faint on me!" Lucy wrenched tightly at his arm.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

"Gray's already down, we don't need you joining him!"

"Lucy!"

Everyone turned to find a battered and bruised Jude limping his way towards them.

"Dad?" Lucy gasped as Jude stumbled forward, setting a hand on Natsu's shoulder.

"Did you get him?" he asked. "Tell me you got him!"

"Oh, yeah!" Natsu smirked. "I got him!"

"Good," Jude sighed in relief, then grabbed his side as he winced in pain.

"Dad!" Lucy set a hand on her father's face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeesh, Pops, you're not looking too good," Natsu said.

"Pops?" Jude arched an eyebrow.

"Don't mind me calling you that, do you?" Natsu asked.

Jude thought for a moment then shrugged. "I guess I could get used to it."

"What happened to you?" Lucy asked, growing frantic.

"Oh, don't worry," Jude smiled through the pain. "I've had worse."

"I didn't ask that, I asked what happened!"

"I just had to distract the Ivan fellow long enough for Natsu to get here, that's all. I'll be fine," Jude explained.

Natsu blinked. That was the first time Jude had actually referred to him by name.

"You…" Lucy blinked. "You kept him from getting to me?"

"Of course," Jude answered. "I couldn't let him hurt my daughter and grandchild."

Lucy gasped, a smile spreading over her face, that was quickly snatched away by another contraction.

"Lucy?" Jude gasped.

"We've gotta get her to a bed soon before the baby comes!" Levy cried.

"Right," Natsu began leading his wife slowly down the hall. "Thanks a million Pops, we'll catch up later!"

"Very well," Jude nodded, waving back. "Good luck. And congratulations."

Lucy, led along by Natsu and Levy finally made their way into a private room with bare walls, a bed with white sheets, a small table-cabinet, and several chairs.

"Here we go, Lu," Levy said as she guided Lucy onto the bed. Natsu pulled up a chair next to her just as another contraction hit.

"Ah! Eh! What do I do?" Natsu asked. "I don't know what to do! Holy crap, I knew I should have picked up a baby book!"

"Speaking of books, I think I some on midwifery back at my room in the dorm, mind if I run and get them?" Levy asked.

"Please," Lucy begged.

"Be right back," Levy darted out.

Lucy began breathing deeply, trying to stay calm, but the pain was growing. Again. Her stomach and abdomen were already sore from being stretched out so quickly. That spell had probably torn and pulled several muscles. Now she was going to have to give birth which was probably going to be even worse. She whimpered as she reached out a hand.

"Natsu?"

"Yeah?" he asked, taking her hand in both of his. "What is it, Love?"

"Please don't leave me," she begged.

"What? Are you kidding? I'd like to see someone try and get me away from you," he answered, sounding much more confident than he felt.

Lucy let out a small sigh of relief. Natsu brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. Lucy smiled before hissing as another contraction hit. She clamped down on his hand. Natsu had to grit his teeth to keep himself from yelping in shock and pain. He almost forgot how strong of a grip his wife had. The contraction let up and Lucy let out a small sob.

"Oh...this hurts!" she cried.

"I know, Luce, but it'll be over soon."

"Oh, shut up! You have no idea what I'm going through right now!"

"Not gonna argue there."

Lucy groaned as Levy reappeared.

"Okay," she said. "Says here we'll need a baby hat, towels, a blanket, wash cloths, tissues, a bucket of water, a cup of crushed ice, and maybe some hair ties if we can find them?"

"We…" Lucy gasped through a contraction. "...we knitted some hats and blankets before Ivan showed up. They should be in the main room."

"Good thing," Natsu said as he stood up. "I'll be right back."

He raced back to the main room, hoping he hadn't destroyed the hats and blankets when he fought Ivan in the main room. He found the basket and pulled out a pink and yellow hat and a golden colored blanket before standing back to his feet. He was promptly knocked back off them by a frantic Laxus who had somehow forgotten how to put on the brakes.

"Getting stuff for Mira?" Natsu asked roughly from under the much bigger man.

"Yup," Laxus answered as he dug through the basket and pulled out a black and white stripped hat and a purple blanket.

"Eh...ermagersh," came a muttering voice. Laxus and Natsu turned to see Gray shuffling stunned faced down the hall.

"Well, he seems to be handling it well," Laxus scoffed.

"Hey, brain freeze, catch!" Natsu called as he tossed a light blue hat and dark green blanket to Gray.

"Thanks," the ice wizard murmured as he numbly caught them.

"Your welcome, no get off me, Laxus!" Natsu kicked the lightning wizard off himself.

The three men scrambled about the whole guild hall, gathering the needed suplies. They had just begun rather violently raiding the bath houses of towel when Erza approached them.

"You're all taking too long!"

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one having to hunt for this stuff!" Natsu shouted.

"It's not that long of a list!" Erza insisted.

"It's hard to remember what's all on it when you're in a bit frantic!" Laxus said. "Need I remind you that we're all having babies!"

"Ermagersh," Gray muttered again, eyes widening.

"Don't you dare faint again!" Erza screeched. "Now hurry up you three, the spell's gone through it's course on both Mirajane and Juvia, and Polyusica said Lucy's almost ready to push."

"What, already!?" Natsu screeched as he raced out of the bath house, only to return seconds later with a cup and bucket. He filled the bucket to the brim with bath water, and the held the cup out to Gray.

"Quick, Gray, fill this up with crushed ice pronto!"

"Yeah, sure," Gray answered in a weak and stunned voice, waving his hand over the cup.

"Thanks, pal," Natsu said before racing out of the bath house again and the Lucy's room.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Lucy barely knew what was happening. All she knew was that she was in pain. Waves of it. For a few moments it would be an intensely dull cramping all throughout her lower body. Then she felt as if her insides were being twisted tighter, and tighter, and tighter, forcing her to fight back against the screams it tried to force out of her until it released her back into the throbbing, cramping dullness. To call these releases a relief was laughable. It was as if every muscle below her chest was being stretched thin. Still, it was better than the twisting agony that always came in peaking waves, before crashing down back into the dull throbbing.

Her nails dug into the sheet beneath her, trying to find some comfort. A sharp, stabbing sensation came at her lower back, causing it to arch. The pain subsided, but the minute she allowed her back to relax it came back. A pushing, stabbing pain that pressed deep into her lower spine causing her to whimper.

"Hang in there, Lu," she vaguely acknowledged Levy calling.

Another wave began to rise, the horrendous twisting beginning in her abdomen and working its way up her entire stomach.

"Argh!" she cried as it grew tighter, and the stabbing in her back intensified. She tried to squirm and arch the preasure away, but her muscles were so tight she could barely move. The wave came crashing down, leaving her gasping for breath.

The stabbing still stayed, though. Cutting through every nerve in her lower back. She couldn't do this! She just couldn't. Just when she'd started getting the hand of these horrific waves this slicing sensation came to plague her. She squirmed, and twisted until she managed to roll onto her left side. She let out another groan. This one wasn't from pain, though, but relief. With the pressure taken off her back the sharp stabbing vanished, leaving her in the painful respite of the usual cramping.

Another wave began to rise, and she dug her nails into the pillow under her head, clamping onto it with both hands. Tears began pouring down her face.

She felt so alone in the gigantic bed with no one to hold her hand. No one to comfrot her. Levy was too busy flipping through her books. Polyusica had already gone off to check on someone else. And Natsu-

"Luce?"

A tiny whimper escaped her throat as she felt his warm hand against her forehead, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Na-Natsu…?" she asked, opening her eyes. There he was, standing over her, worried face.

"I'm right here," he said, giving her a small smile of comfort.

She smiled painfully, before closing her eyes back, a shout escaping through her tears. The wave had come back, and was beginning to peak much quicker than before.

"Sh, sh, sh, sh," Natsu's voice called as he gently dug on of her hands out from under her pillow, intertwining her fingers with his. "It's gonna be okay."

Lucy squeezed on his hand as the twisting inside her grew tighter.

"Ah!" Lucy cried as her back arched slightly. Now there was a burning that seared right across her abdomen. Tears poured down her face as she trembled. This was excruciating. There was no way she was going to make it through this.

"I...I...I can't..." she stammered.

"Yes you can," Natsu said, rubbing small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. "You can do it."

Lucy took a deep breath as the burning went away. She could do it. He said she could. She waited for the wave to go away so she could be left in the dullness to rest, but it didn't. Instead it intensified again, searing across her abdomen once more.

"No," she whimpered. "No, no, no, please…"

The burning spread from her abdomen, down her thighs, and up her stomach. She began shaking as a strangled cry escaped her.

"N-AARGH! I can't! I can't-OOOOHHH!"

"Sh," she felt Natsu's hand running her her hair, his forehead touching hers.

"You're gonna be fine," he whispered in a voice so faint no one other than her could have heard it. "You've got this."

She listened intently to what he was saying, welcoming something, anything that could take her away from this pain.

"N...N...Natsu…"

"I'm right here," he whispered. "I'm not going anywhere."

Lucy tried to open her eyes to look at him, but instead she winced as the pains came again, along with something else.

"I...I...I feel…"

"Yes?" Levy asked from somewhere in the room.

"I need to push," Lucy gasped.

"Oh! Okay, okay. I'll go get Polyusica. Try not to push yet!" Levy raced out of the room.

Lucy groaned and grit her teeth, fighting against the massive urge that threatened to tear her apart from the inside out. Heavy breaths hissed between her clamped jaws as she waited for Levy to return with Polyusica. Footsteps came from the hall, and she could feel someone lifting the blanket covering her.

"Yup, you're ready," Polyusica's voice stated plainly.

She let out a small sigh of relief. Now she could actully do something other than just lie there and take it. Soon her agony would be over.

"Should we get her to roll over on her back?" Levy asked.

"That would make things easier on me," Polyusica grumbled.

No! No, she couldn't lie on her back. If she did that knife-like, stabbing pain would comeback. She couldn't take that ontop of everything else. Lucy shook her head frantically. Still, Polyusica grabbed her by the hips and tried to flip her over. She shook her head again. Please, surely she wouldn't have to roll over now! She could go through with it on her side, couldn't she. She shook her head and whimpered.

"No!" Natsu snapped as he pulled his forehead away from hers. "She doesn't want to! She wants to stay like this!"

Lucy let out a sigh of relief. Thank Mavis he was here!

"Can she do that?" Levy asked.

"Sure, it'll just make my job harder," Polyusica grumbled. Lucy grittted her teeth. The nerve of-

"Hey, you ain't the one giving birth here so quit complaining!" Natsu shouted.

A small smile spread on Lucy's lips. Just when she thought she couldn't love him more...

"She'll have to hold her leg for her so the baby will have room," Polyusica said. Natsu let go of Lucy's hand, his other hand disappearing from her hair. She grunted as she shifted her weight so she could grab onto her leg. As she struggled and reached with right hand she felt the mattress shift from behind her. Natsu took her outstretched hand, intertwining her fingers with his as his other arm hooked under her knee. Lucy let out another sigh as she relaxed back against the pillow.

"There, I've got you," Natsu whispered as he kissed the hand he was holding. "You just worry about Nashi, I'll worry about you."

Lucy smiled. She tried to speak, but the pain was intensifying so she just gave his hand a thankful squeeze.

"Whenever you feel like it, push," Polyusica said.

Lucy nodded, her grip tightening around Natsu's hand. The urge to push came just as it had before and she gave in, rolling her chin to her chest as she bore down. The burning across her lower body also began to bear down, as if there was a fire rging inside her that was trying to force the child out of her.

"Well, don't stop breathing!" Polyusica exclaimed. "It won't do any of us any good if you pass out."

Lucy gasped for air, releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding. The air gave her new energy that she put into pushing until the urge left and she collapsed against the pillow.

"Not bad, but you can do better," Polyusica said.

"Oh, yeah? Let's see you try it!" Natsu countered.

"Quiet you!" the older woman scolded. "Focus on your wife. Talk to her. That seems to distract her from the pain."

"Lucy?" Natsu asked in a much gentler voice.

"Eh…" was all she could muster as she opened her eyes to look at him.

"Don't let that old hag get you down. You're doing great," he said as he smiled down at her..

"I heard that," Polyusica called.

"Wasn't talking to you, you nosy old bee-body!"

Lucy's mouth curled into a small smile as a soft chuckle escaped her.

"There we go," Natsu leaned forward and rubbed his nose against hers. "There's my smiling ray of sunshine."

She smiled wider, but it quickly faded as the twisting, burning urge to push returned.

"Alright," Natsu said softly. "Round two, you've got this."

"Round two?" Polyusica scoffed. "This isn't a battle, you simpleton!"

"Just do your job and let me do mine!" Natsu shouted back as Lucy's grip tightened on his hand as she began pushing again.

"That's my girl, you've got this."

Being able to listen to his voice and focus on what he was saying rather than the pain she was in was helping immensely. Rather than tensing and holding her breath she was able to take steady and controlled inhales and exhales until she was left the chance to rest once again. Natsu began releasing her hand. She panicked and gripped onto him.

"No, don't-"

"It's okay, I'm not going anywhere," Natsu promised. "Just getting a cold rag is all."

Lucy opened her eyes to find Levy passing a wet washcloth to Natsu who took it and began using it to dab the sweat off her face. Lucy shuddered at the sudden cold, but relaxed as it began to cool away some of the burning she felt throughout her whole body.

"Helping any?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Good."

Though the rag did help her relax, her relaxation also lead to her realizing just how tired she was. And she'd only now started pushing! How was she going to make it? The physical drive to push began coming back, but Lucy's motivation did not. She grimaced in pain and whimpered.

"Sh," Natsu place the rage on her forehead and took her hand back in his.

"How...how much more?" Lucy asked in a weak voice.

"Way too early for you to be asking that," Polyusica replied, to which Lucy groaned.

"Can't this go any faster?" she asked.

"Can you push harder?" Polyusica retorted.

"Not cool!" Natsu snapped.

Lucy, however, took the harsh words to heart, gritted her teeth and put every ounce into pushing.

"Well, aparently you can," Polyusica stated. "Now keep this up fro the rest of the labor."

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut as she took a deep breath and put even more stregnth into pushing. Her grip on Natsu's hand was bone-crushing, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Gosh, you're incredible," he gasped as he watched her bear down with every ounce of stregnth she had.

She took a deep breath and began pushing again. Surely this had to be over soon. Surely she was making progress. She pushed again, and then gasped.

Just when she thought things couldn't get worse for her, another type of pain decided to join the mix. Now ontop of the cramping, and twisting, and burning, there was a sensation that she could only liken to shattering. It felt as if the lower portion of her body was made of glass that had been stuck by a rock, shattering it into tiny, sharp, cutting pieces.

A scream tore through her.

"Goo news, you're crowning," Polyusica called. "Bad news, this part hurts."

"It all hurts, now it's just -ooooOOOOOHHH! ARGH! EEEEAAAAAHHHHH!" Lucy arched her head back as she screamed.

"Well, you can't stop pushing now, you have to keep going!" Polyusica scolded.

"I'm sorry, I can't!" Lucy sobbed.

"Yes you can, you're already doing it," Natsu said.

Lucy shook her head. "No...No...I…"

"Yes, you can," Natsu pushed her hair out of her face and carressed her cheek. "Lucy, look at me."

When she didn't open her eyes, he said it again. "Look at me."

She opened her eyes and found him staring at her with full, loving sincerity. "You can do this. I believe in you. You've done amazing so far, and you'll keep doing so. Not long now and we'll be meeting our little girl. Just hang in there, okay?"

Their little girl.

She'd been so caught up in her agony that she had forgotten what all of this was leading up to. That, coupled with Natsu's support gave her the stregnth to begin pushing again.

"That's my girl!" Natsu cheered.

Tears stung at the corner of Lucy's eyes, though with all the other pain she was in she couldn't notice it. A high pitched scream ripped through her throat, squeazing through her gritted teeth. Everytime she pushed the shattering below intensified. But if she didn't push this would never end, not to mention that resisting the instinct was nearly impossible. She swallowed hard, trying to hold back the scremaing and sobbing that threatened to boil over out of her.

"Breathe," Natsu reminded her.

She took a quick breath, barely enoguh to sustain her, but anymore and she would have dissolved into screeching sobs.

"C'mon, Luce. You gotta cry, cry. You're the one running the show here."

She took another, deeper breath, a howl errupting out of her as she exhaled.

"There you go."

"Not sure why you're encouraging hysterics," Polyusica muttered, as Lucy inhaled.

"Butt out, wrinkles!"

Lucy tried to focus on their bickering, hoping it would take her mind away from her torment as she pushed once again she felt like she'd been pushing for an eternity. This was just too much! She had to get through this soon or she wouldn't make it. She rolled her chin all the way to her chest. She bellowed deep in her chest as she gathered up what little stregnth she had left. Her nails dug into Natsu's skin. He was saying something to her, but she couldn't make out what it was. The pain was overwhelming. Still she willed the sound of his voice to lull her through this.

Tears streaked down her face.

The cramping.

The twisting.

The burning.

The shattering.

All played a symphony of torment inside of her before crescendoing into a tearing,, shredding agony that threatned to rip her hips a part. She couldn't hear her scream, but she could feel it erupting through her. Her hearing and sight were gone, drowned in the pain. All she could do was feel it. Feel the agony, and Natsu's hands, one still holding her leg, the other rubbing small circles over her guild mark. She tried to focus on him, to take her mind off this torture as she pushed onward.

This had to be over soon. It just had to be. She'd been here for an eternity. She coulnd't take anymore. She just couldn't. She couldn't. She coul-

 _Relief!_

In less than a milisecond it was gone. She gasped, cold air filling her whole body as she collapsed. Her entire body shook uncontrollably as she lay there panting for breath. Everything about her went numb, too in shock to process what was happening. Slowly she came back. Her hearing was the first to return. A small noise, a soft hum almost began piercing it's way through the silence. Then it grew louder into a mewing sound. The it burst into it's full glory.

A baby's cry.

Lucy gasped yet again as she slowly opened her eyes. The first sight she beheld was Natsu, still sitting behind her. He had a hand clamped to his mouth as giant, fat tears rolled down his face.

"She's beautiful, Lucy!" he exclaimed.

Lucy slowly turned her head, rolling onto her back. Polyusica and Levy stood at the foot of the bed, Levy placing the pink and yellow cap Lucy had knitted onto the head of a tiny person being swaddled by Polyusica. Or atleast, she was trying to swaddle her. The baby was kicking and waving it's tiny limbs wildly about her as she cried.

Lucy's mouth curled into a smile as she watched. Not even 30 seconds old and she was already a fighter just like her Daddy.

"Here you go," Polyusica said as she finally managed to wrap the blanket around the baby. "A healthy, screaming and kicking, baby girl. Congratulations."

Lucy held her arms out as the baby was placed against her chest. The little girl kept squirming and fussing until Lucy craddled her in her arms. At feeling her mother's touch and hearing her mother's heart beat the little girl calmed down, and instead of struggling nuzzled closer against Lucy's chest, her wails diminishing to small whimpers.

"Oh…" Lucy gasped. "Oh my goodness!"

She gently ran a hand over the child's cheek, pushing the hat and blanket aside so she could see her daughter's face. She had a heart shaped face, similar to Lucy's. However, the little hair that covered her head was a rosy pink. The child grunted as she waved her hands about, trying to gage the world around her. Natsu reached down took one of her hands between his thumb and finger. Her tiny fingers spread open before clamping around her father's thumb, not even big enough to fully wrap around it.

"She's so tiny!" Natsu gasped as tears continued to fall down his face.

"She's perfect," Lucy stated as she ran a finger over the little girl's hair, tears now rolling down her cheeks.

"She is," Natsu agreed, gently stroking the back of her teensy hand with his finger.

Lucy sniffled as she leaned down and kissed the top of the little girl's head. Polyusica and Levy slipped out, leaving the family to have their moment in privacy. The baby cooed and began opening her eyes, staring up at her parents.

"Look," Natsu gasped. "She has your eyes."

The little girl's face brightened at the sound of her father's voice and she broke into a toothless grin.

"She's got your smile, though," Lucy said as she carressed her face again.

Natsu let go of the little girl's hand to craddle the back of her head. Lucy took her chance to hold the little girl's hand, beaming as she clamped onto her finger too.

"She's already strong," Lucy commented at feeling the surpisingly tight grip around her finger. "Just like her Daddy."

"My combat skills and your good looks? She's gonna rule the world!" Natsu declared, beaming ear to ear.

"I think she looks like you," Lucy argued. "She's got you hair, your smile, your nose."

"Your eyes, your face," Natsu pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess so" Lucy giggled. "Let's call this one a draw."

The tiny babe cooed again as she looked up at her parents.

"What is it, Nashi?" Lucy asked. "You already trying to talk? You trying to say hi?"

She cooed again.

"Hi," Lucy crooned back. "Hi, baby girl."

"Hi," Natsu copied, leaning forward to place a kiss against her forehead.

"You wanna hold her?" Lucy asked.

Natsu nodded holding his arms out for his daughter. She weighed hardly anything. She was so small that she fit perfectly into the crook of his arm. He beamed down at her, tears falling down his cheeks again as he smiled.

"Look what you're doing to me, Nashi. You're turning me soft," he chuckled.

Lucy laughed too, reaching up to wipe his tears away. He let her before he leaned down and brushed his nose against the little girl's.

"I love you, Nashi," he whispered as she reached up and placed a tiny palm to his chin. He turned and kissed the baby's hand. "I love you," he repeated.

Lucy reached over and ran a hand over Nashi's pink fuzzy hair. "We both love you so much, baby girl," she said.

Natsu beamed as he turned to her. He leaned forward. She did the same, their lips meeting half-way.

"Thank you," Natsu whispered as he kissed his wife again and again and again. "Thank you. Thank you so much!"

"Why are you thanking me?" Lucy giggled. "You had as much of a hand in Nashi as I did."

Natsu shook his head. "No way I could have done what you just did. You're amazing!"

"Well, I won't argue there," Lucy smirked as he laughed and kissed her again.

Nashi let out a loud coo.

"Oh, don't worry, Daddy hasn't forgotten about you," Natsu said as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Lucy smiled at him, reaching out to run a hand through his hair.

"I couldn't have done that without you, though," she said.

"Ah, sure you could."

Lucy shook her head. "No." She leaned in a kissed him yet once again. "Thank you."

"Any time."

"I know," Lucy smiled before turning to Nashi. "And Mommy hasn't forgotten about you either." She kissed the little girl's cheek and then leaned her head on Natsu's shoulder.

Another baby's cry came from down the hall. Natsu and Lucy turned towards it, then Lucy looked back down at Nashi.

"Sounds like you just got a play mate."

Another baby's cry came from the other end of the hall way.

"Make that two," Natsu said.

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty-Five:**

"That's it, Juvia, breathe!" Erza encouraged, patting the soon-to-be mother rather roughly on the back.

"I'm...I'm trying! Oh, Gray, hold my hand please! I need your presence to comfort me!"

"M'kay," Gray muttered as he numbly stuck out his hand. Though he was now concious he was still in a state of shock, unable to more than sit at Juvia's bedside, staring blankly ahead and unconciously respond to commands.

"Gray, would you snap out of it already!" Erza shouted. "You're about to have a-"

"Don't say the 'b' word!" Jellal begged from where he sat next to Gray, a fan and spray bottle in hand.

"-baby!"

Gray began to go cross-eye. Jellal sprayed three burst of water in his face, casuing Gray to jump and shake his head.

"Ugh, thanks," he grumbled as Jellal began to violently fan him.

"Don't mention it," Jellal awkwardly replied, not sure what to do.

"Is this really happening?" Gray muttered, a little more coherent than before.

"Afraid so," Erza replied as she supported a sobbing Juvia's shoulder. "You're about to be a-"

"Don't say the 'f' word!"

"-father!"

"Oh, help me," Gray covered his face in his hands.

Jellal stared blankly for a few seconds, then timidly reached out a hand and patted the ice-wizard on the back of the head. "There, there."

"Oh, for crying out loud! It's a baby! It won't kill you!" Erza snapped. "Now help your poor wife!"

"Three times. He's fainted three times, Erza," Jellal counted off on his fingers. "You him to go down a fourth time."

"We don't have a crib," Gray muttered from between his hands. "We don't have any baby clothes. We don't even have diapers!"

"We'll worry about that later," Erza said as Juvia let out a loud groan of pain. "Right now we need to make sure your child is safely delivered."

"Right now!?" Gray popped his head up, eyes frantic.

"Within the next hour or two I'm sure," Erza answered.

"Uh…"

"FULLBUSTER YOU FAINT ONE MORE TIME AND I'LL SCALP YOU!"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO IS ABOUT TO FAINT!"

"OH, REALLY, JELLAL? AND WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST!?"

"I DON'T KNOW BUT NOT THAT!"

"Can't we wait a little longer?" Gray asked.

"I don't think our baby wants to," Juvia panted.

"Can't you just hold it."

"WHA-!?" Juvia screeched, glaring at her husband who let out a squeak of pain.

"GRAY!" Erza shouted.

"Don't worry, I've got it," Jellal said as he whacked Gray on the back of the head.

"Guess I had that coming," Gray muttered.

"You did," Jellal confirmed.

"So much for a calming and relaxing environment," Polyusica grumbled as she walked in to check Juvia. "Honestly, you Fernadezes are louder than the laboring mother!"

"Finally...someone...who...understands," Juvia gasped before shouting in pain, causing Gray to jump.

"Juvia, are you okay?"

"No, she's not! She's giving birth! Do you know nothing about childbirth?" Erza scolded.

"No," Gray answered.

"Well, didn't you read a book?"

"I would have if I had known we were pregnant!"

"I'm sorry, beloved," Juvia sobbed. "I really didn't know!"

"Wha-no, no, no, no, no! I wasn't getting onto you!" Gray waved his arms wildly.

Polyusica rolled here eyes as she stood to her feet. "Who would have thought that pink haired fool would be the better birth partner."

"Wai-You saying Natsu did better than I did?" Gray crossed his arms.

"And, hands off everyone he's going to take it from here," Jellal raised his hands above his head.

Gray knealt down by Juvia, determination in his eyes.

"I'm right here, Juvia, what do you need?"

"SERIOUSLY!? YOU ONLY NOW SNAP OUT OF IT SO YOU CAN COMPETE WITH NATSU!?" Erza screeched.

"Why are you complaining?" Jellal asked. "He's back! Let him be!"

"Alright, enough's enough, you two out!" Polyusica pointed to the door.

"Yes ma'am," Erza and Jellal murmured before slipping out.

"Now that I can actually hear myself think," Polyusica rubbed her temples. "You're ready. Push whenever you feel the need."

Juvia rolled her chin up to her chest and pushed down. Gray felt himself getting dizzy again but shook it off.

"What do you need?"

"Just...OUCH...just hold m...ooooooooohhhhhh….hold my hand," Juvia panted.

Gray took her hand in his, flinching when she nearly tore it from his wrist and clutched it against the sheet beneath it.

"Help her sit up," Polyusica said. "It'll make the baby come quicker."

"How do I do that when she's…" Gray gestured to his hand being pinned against the bed.

"Not my problem, just do it," the older woman answered.

Gray frowned at her, then slipped his one free arm under Juvia's shoulder and leaned forward to hold her up. It was much easier said than done. She was a lot heavier than she had been before, and he was at an awkward position.

"Darling, I'm scared, hold me tighter," Juvia begged.

"Uh...okay," Gray leaned his shoulder against hers to try and fulfill her request. She leaned her head against him.

"Thank you for being here," she whispered.

"I gotcha," Gray assured her.

"Just don't faint again," Polyusica snapped. "Alright, push again, harder this time. Otherwise the little brat will never get here."

"Hey, don't call my kid a brat," Gray frowned.

"Oh, NOW he acknowledges he's becoming a father!" Polyusica rolled her eyes.

"Please...stop...talking…" Juvia begged as she pushed. Gray's arm began to ache. Both of them. His one arm was tired from holding Juvia up, and the other one was going numb from lack of circulation. At least his head wasn't spinning anymore. For now. That didn't mean he'd come to terms what was happening. He had just put it out of mind so that he could help Juvia. If he thought about the fact that they were actually, out of the blue, having a baby, he'd probably pass out again. He'd just deal with it once it actually happened.

"ARGH! OH, MAKE IT STOP!" Juvia screamed, causing Gray's blood, for the first time since he began training with Ur, to run cold.

"Polyusica!" Lisanna burst into the room. "You need to-"

"Can't you see I'm busy?" the older woman snapped.

"But Mira-"

"This baby is crowning! I can't leave now. Shoo!"

"But-"

"I'll be there as soon as possible, now go!"

Lisanna stuck her tongue out at the older woman and raced off.

"Oh, I think I'm dying!" Juvia cried.

"You're not dying, you're just having a baby is all," the old healer sighed.

"Gray, darling, help me!"

"How?" Gray wondered out-loud.

"You're an ice wizard, cool her brow off," Polyusica suggested.

Gray repositioned his arm into an even more strenuous and uncomfortable position so that he could place his ice-coated hand against Juvia's brow. She hummed in relief and leaned into his touch.

"Thank you, darling."

"Don't mention it."

"Cmon, you're almost there so push!" Polyusica shouted just as Lisanna burst back into the room.

"Poly-"

"What did I just say?"

"But you really gotta-"

" _LISANNA!"_ Mirajane's voice rang through the hallway. Lisanna's eyes grew side as she raced off.

"Hurry!" she called as she disappeared.

"Alright, could you please push your brat off so I can go see what's going on with them?" Polyusica sighed.

"Hey!" Gray snapped as Juvia rolled forward. She let out an ear-piercing screaming that caused a ringing in Gray's head.

"One more push, that's it…" Polyusica called.

Gray startled stiff. This was really happening? They were really having a baby? He was going to faint again…

"And there we go," Polyusica stood, a squirming infant in her arms that coughed twice before errupting into screams. Gray fell to his knees, but didn't faint. Instead he just stared, slack jawed, as Polyusica cleaned the babe up, cut the chord, wrapped it in the blanket and passed it to Juvia.

"Here you are. A healthy baby boy, congratulations."

Juvia cried tears of joy as she held out her arms and craddled the child against her.

"Oh, you're here," she gasped. "You're actually here! Our precious little boy!"

" _Our_ little boy?" Gray asked dumbly as he stared at the child.

"Yup. Yours. Good luck," Polyusica said as she began cleaning up about her.

Gray could only watch as Juvia peppered the tiny, crying child's head with kisses.

"You're perfect!" Juvia declared as she snuggled the baby closer against her. "You're absolutely perfect. A little mixture of me and my beloved. Gray, look! Gray…?"

Juvia's eyes grew concerned as she spotted her husband just staring, jaw open, a blank expression on his face.

"Gray…? Is everything okay?" she asked in a worried voice. "Is something wrong?"

 _What if he's not happy? What if he doesn't want children? Oh, NO! This can't be happening!_ She though as she clasped a hand to her mouth.

"Yeesh, you look like you just survived a storm. Smile a little will ya?" Polyusica snapped.

Gray slowly closed his mouth as he reached out a hand and placed it on the back of the boy's head. The boy let out a small coo and nuzzled into his father's touch.

"Is he...is he really ours?" Gray asked, hushed voice.

Juvia nodded, still scared.

The corners of Gray's mouth began curling up into a smile.

"Can I...can I hold him?"

Juvia sighed in relief and nodded passing the baby to Gray who tucked the baby into the crook of his arm and began gently rocking him back and forth. The smile widened across his face as he stared at the child. Juvia beamed as her husband slowly turned and looked back at her.

"I have a son?!"

Juvia laughed and nodded.

Gray let out a small giggle of joy as well as he looked back down at the baby boy.

"Hey, little guy," he said. "I'm your dad. Oh my gosh, Juvia, he looks just like you!"

"You think?" Juvia said as she leaned forward to get a better look at the child. Indeed he had the same shaped face, nose, lips, and eyes that she did. The only thing different was the hair, which rather than being a brilliant royal blue, was instead a deep navy color. The perfect mix of both her's and Gray's hair.

From somewhere down the hall another baby cried.

"What the-" Polyusica yelled as she raced out of the room.

"I'm guessing that's what Lisanna was so worked up about," Gray said.

"Lisanna was here?" Juvia asked, confused.

"For a little while."

"I didn't notice."

"Well, you were a bit busy…"

The baby let out a loud coo as he reached his hand towards his father.

"Yup. She was," Gray said the the child as he let the boy grasp onto his finger. "She was busy trying to get you here." He brought the baby closer to his face and kissed his forehead. Juvia let out a small squee.

"Just when I though I couldn't love you more! You're already an amazing father!"

"Think so?" Gray asked.

"Of course!" Juvia reached for him. He bent down and let her guide his lips towards hers.

"Just for the record, you're going to be an amzing mom too," he said once they'd parted.

Juvia beamed. "I know. Because I'll have you to help me."

Gray chuckled as he looked back down at the baby who'd began sucking on his fist. "Now the real question is, what are we going to call you, little guy?"

"Why not Little Gray?" Juvia asked.

"Don't you think that'll get confusing with two of us around?" Gray asked.

"Can't he atleast have it as a middle name?" Juvia pouted.

Gray shrugged. "If you say so, but he needs a first name to go by."

As he watched his son look about the new world he'd just been born into he thought back to what Polyusica had said: " _Yeesh. You look like you just survived a storm. Smile a little will ya?"_ Well he had, in a sense, survived a storm. Not a literal one, obviously, but a whirlwind of emotions, thoughts, worried. Things most father's had nine months to deal with, he'd only been given a few hours to process. Storm was a good way to put it.

"I know," Gray tapped his finger against the baby's nose. "I know what we'll call you."

"What?" Juvia asked.

"How about Storm?"

"Storm?" Juvia cocoked her head to one side. "Storm Gray Fullbuster. That does have a nice ring to it."

"Alright, Storm it is," Gray beamed as Juvia reached and took their son back into her arms, much to his disappointment. Still, he didn't argue, he instead knealt down next to the bed, leaning his head on his folded arms upon the mattress to watch over his recently expanded family. Storm really did look like his mother. Good news for him, that only meant he'd be a knock-out as he got older. Gray smiled as he thought of getting to watch his little boy grow into the strong and kind man he already knew he'd be. Storm stared at him as Juvia craddled him against her chest, humming to him and rocking him back and forth. Gray reached out and ran a finger over the baby's cheek. Storm cooed and reached up with one, tiny hand to latch onto his father's finger.

Juvia beamed at the two, heart so full she though it would burst. Now she had two beautiful men that had stolen her heart. She only hoped the other two couples were as happy as she.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Mirajane groaned as she leaned against the wall of the room, forcing herself to take deep breaths.

"Mira, shouldn't you be lying down?" Laxus asked, concern seeping through his voice as he placed a hand on her back.

Mirajane shook her head. "Walking is actually…" she gasped as the pains came agains and forced herself through it. "...is actually helping."

"It's probably going to be a while before she's ready to push, anyways," Lisanna stated from where she stood on Mirajane's other side. "Let her move around while she still can. "

I just don't want you wearing yourself out before the actual birth is all," Laxus said, running his hand over her hair.

"I'll be fine," Mirajane smiled through the pain up at him. "Afterall, women were having babies long before I came along."

"Optimistic as ever I see. Seriously, how do you do that?" Laxus asked.

Mirajane giggled before letting out a loud gasp of pain and leaning her full weight against the wall again.

"Whoa, steady, Mira," Lisanna encouraged, placing her hands on her sister's arms to help her maintain balance.

"I think…" Mirajane groaned through the pain. "I think things are starting to speed up now. OH!"

"Mira?" Laxus asked, eyes wide with concern.

"Oh yeah, things are really-AUGH!"

"I'll go get Polyusica," Lisanna said as she raced off. Laxus set his arm around his wife's shoulders and helped her to the bed. Mirajane sat down on the edge of the mattress and began rocking back and forth, breathing deeply.

"You're sure Farrah's okay?" she asked.

"For the thousandth time, yes, she's with Wendy," Laxus answered.

"That's good. She's not…" Mirajane's voice trailed off as another pain came.

"Easy, now," Laxus gently rubbed her arm.

"...she's not scared is she?" Mirajane asked.

"I don't think so," Laxus answered. "A bit worried, maybe. I tried to explain what was going on best I could but I don't think she got it."

"Did you tell her she'd have a new little brother or sister?"

"Yeah, but she didn't quite understand. She kept asking 'from where?'"

Mirajane giggled. "Well, I guess she'll figure it out soon enough."

Lisanna came back in the room. "A bit of bad news. Juvia's crowning right now, so Polyusica can't come."

"Is Juvia okay?" Mirajane asked.

"Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself?" Laxus wondered at his wife's compassion.

"Seems to be fine," Lisanna nodded.

"What about Lucy?"

"I didn't ask, but when I was walking by her door I didn't hear anything. I think she already had hers."

"I just hope it went well for her," Mirajane smiled.

"You do realize YOU'RE in labor, right?" Laxus asked.

"It's Mira, why are you surprised?" Lisanna giggled.

"Fair eno-"

"OOOOOHHHH!" Mirajane arched her back as she cried out in pain.

"Mira!" Lauxs took both of her hands in his.

"I...I need to push!" Mirajane cried.

Lisanna raced out of the room and down the hall. Laxus lifted Mirajane in his arms and placed her in the center of the bed. He crawled behind her, letting her leaned into his chest between his legs.

"Just hold on a little while longer," he begged.

"I'm trying," Mirajane whimpered. "But I really...I really…"

"Just try to wait until Polyusica gets here."

Mirajane gritted her teeth, breath hissing through them as she dug her nail's into Laxus' hands. She suddenly let out a sharp cry and shook her head.

"I can't...I can't wait any longer…" she gasped.

"Wha-but Polyusica isn't here. Mira, you can't-"

"I have to push. I can't fight it anymore!"

"But there's no one-"

"LISANNA!" Mirajane shouted as her chin curled up the her chest.

Lisanna came bounding in the room.

"Hurry, do something!" Laxus shouted.

Lisanna raced to the foot of the bed. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on! Ah!" she shouted before she dropped to her knees. A baby cried.

Lisanna laughed as she stood up, and infant in her hands.

"I made it just in time," she giggled as she held the baby up for Laxus and Mirajane to see. "Congratualtions you two, you have a son!"

"A son?" Laxus asked, eyes wide.

"Oh! Oh! Let me see him!" Mirajane begged, holding her arms out. The baby hadn't even been cleaned off yet, but Lisanna still laid the squalling babe against his mother's chest.

"That's right, come here, right to Mama!" Mirajane cheered as she wrapped her arms around the little boy, holding him close. "Hello, there. Hello, my handsome boy!"

Laxus smiled softly as he set a hand on the still crying boy's back. "Look at you," he gasped in awe.

"What on Earth-land is going on!?" Polyusica called as she raced into the room.

"You're too late, Gran. Our boy's already here," Laxus said, never taking his eyes off the babe.

"Well, let me at least make sure he's healthy!" the older woman exclaimed as she picked up a blanket and took the baby from Mirajane to check over. Mira turned and set a hand on Laxus' cheek, pulling him into a kiss.

"You just had a baby," Laxus exclaimed.

"Mm-hmm," Mirajane beamed.

"And you barely broke a sweat."

"Well, I don't know about that."

"Are you human? Seriously, how do you do this?"

Mirajane only giggled as Laxus kissed her again and Polyusica brought their son back to them.

"He's healthy, alright. Congratulations."

She began passing the baby to Mirajane, but the new mother shook her head. "I've already held him. Let Laxus have a turn."

Laxus looked a bit scared as Polyusica lowered the child into his arms, but he beamed the minute he saw the baby's face.

"Hey there, little man," he whispered as he began rocking the baby back and forth. "Come to say 'hi' to your Papa, huh?"

The baby blinked at him. He had platinum blond, almost white hair covering his head, and smoky gray eyes that mirrored his father's. Mirajane leaned her head against Laxus' shoulder, tucking the blanket closer around their son. They just sat there for a while, Laxus gently swaying back and forth as their son stared at the.

"He's perfect, Mira," Laxus finally whipsered after a few moments of blissful silence.

"Yeah, I think we did a pretty good job," Mirajane nodded.

"We? You're the one who did the heavy lifting?"

"Well, I didn't make him on my own. As anyone with eyes can see. He looks just like you."

"Nah, he's got the Strauss hair."

"But everything else is you."

"Eh. We'll see."

A gentle _knock, knock, knock,_ came at the door. Lisanna poked her head in. "Sorry to bother you, but we've got a couple people out here who want to meet the little guy."

Lisanna stepped inside, leading Farrah by the hand. Farrah raced to her parent's side, Mirajane holding her arms out for her.

"Mama!" she squealed as Mirajane lifted her into a hug.

"Hello, sweetheart," she smiled as she stroked the little girl's hair.

"Hey," came a gruff voice. Mirajane and Laxus turned to find-

"Elfman!"

"When did you get back?"

"The rest of us just got here about two minutes ago," Elfman explained as he walked to the bedside. "So, this is my new nephew, huh?"

"Yup," Mirajane smiled as she set Farrah on her lap. "Farrah, look, it's your new baby brother."

"Brother?" Farrah arched an eyebrow as she stared at the bundle in Laxus' arms.

"Yup," Laxus bent down so Farrah could see. She gasped and held a hand to her mouth.

"He's so tiny and cute!" she squeed.

"You want to hold him?" Mirajane asked.

Farrah noddd. Laxus se the baby in his daughter's lap, Mirajane guiding Farrah's hands to the right positions.

"Laxus?" came a voice at the door.

Laxus turned to find Makarov standing in the doorway, beckoning him to come out. Laxus frowned as he slipped off the bed, following his grandfather into the hall.

"What is it Gramps?"

"I just got done talking to Hezim," Makarov explained.

"Yeah?" Laxus crossed his arms.

"Ivan just came through surgery. He'll…" Makarov sighed. "He'll live."

"Where?"

"Where do you think?"

Laxus nodded.

"Any chance of him getting out.

Makarov shook his head. "No. As if the attacks against us weren't bad enough, examination of the murder scene of those merchants has proven without a shadown of a doubt that Ivan was involved. He'll be put away until he dies."

Laxus nodded. "Good. What about the other two?"

"Jose's dead. Jiemma's still alive, but he'll suffer the same fate as Ivan."

"So he's the only one we've got left to worry about."

"Did you not here what I said. He'll be-"

"I know. But there's still a chance her could get out. As for the deadbeat, well, one arm, no legs, one eye? I don't think he'll be much of a threat to anyone anymore."

"They managed to save one of his legs," Makarov corrected. "Though I doubt he'll regain full use of it."

"Point still stands," Laxus shrugged as he leaned against the wall, staring down the hall. "So...we won?"

Makarov nodded. "This time anyways."

"Well, that's all that matters, doesn't it?"

Makarov smiled. "You've grown up quite a bit, haven't you? Yes, that's all that matters. While there will be countless struggles tomorrow, worrying about them today won't make things better. So let's enjoy our victory for now."

"Well said, now come on," Laxus opened the door back up. "You've got a great-grandson to meet."

"Oh, do I?" Makarov's eyes lit up. "And what's his name?"

"Well, I'll have to double-check with Mira. But last we spoke I think we settled on Cato for a boy."

Makarov smiled widely. "Cato and Farrah. My great-grand children," he chuckled. "I never thought I'd live long enough to meet them. I was sure I'd get myself killed before then."

"Well, I'm glad you're still kicking you old geizer."

"As am I," Makarov patted Laxus' knee. "Thank you for bringing them to me. You've made this old man happier than you could ever realize."

"Would you quit sapping it up and go say hi to Cato already?"

"Alright, alright, I'm going."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

The main room of the guild hall, though still badly damaged, was paked to the brim by nearly ever wizard and patron the guild had to offer. News about the new arrivals spread like wild fire and everyone was anxious to hear some news about the new babies. Though the chattering scene may have been heart warming to anyone else, to Polyusica it was a mere annoyance. Especially when the sea of people swarmed towards her.

"Are they here?"

"Are the girls okay?"

"Are the babies healthy?"

"Did that spell have any long-lasting effects on the mothers?"

"Will you all shut it! I've had a long enough day as is! Let me go home!"

Sadly, that was not to happen for the poor old, healer. Everyone was dying, and almost ready to kill, for any news. So eager were they to force the old woman to spill the beans, that they didn't notice a pink-haired fire wizard tip-toeing his way down the hall towards the healing ward.

Natsu carefully opened the door and slipped inside, cautious not to disturb the sleeping bundle in his arms.

"Natsu!" three of the four inside called when they saw him.

"Sh!" he hissed, holding a finger to his mouth. Wendy, Happy, and Carla all held and hand to their mouths.

"Is Lucy's dad still in here?" Natsu asked.

"Yes?" Jude's voice came from a bed in the center of the left row as he sat up. He was now covered in bandages, and looked much better than he had earlier.

"Hey, Pops," Natsu smiled brightly as he walked towards him. Everyone watched the tiny bundle in his arms with wide eyes, but out of respect of the new father and grandfather, stayed put. "I got someone I'd like you to meet."

Jude's eyes widened as Natsu sat on the edge of his bed, tilting his arms down so Jude could see the sleeping babe he was holding.

"This is your granddaughter. Nashi Lucy Dragneel."

"Nashi?" Jude asked.

Natsu nodded in confirmation.

Jude smiled as he reached out and stroked the little girl's head.

"Well, hello there, Nashi." He chuckled softly. And to think he'd been afraid of this darling child. My, what a fool he had been.

"Wanna hold her?" Natsu asked.

Jude's eyes widened in shock. "I...erm..well, I…"

"'Course you do, here," Natsu passed the baby over to Jude, who stiffly held his arms out as he stared wide eyes. Natsu chuckled.

"C'mon, Pops, you act like you've never held a baby before!"

"Well, it's been a while," Jude protested as he softened his arms, moving Nashi to the crook of his elbow. "Sorry, Nashi, you'll have to excuse me. I forget how to do things sometimes. That's what happens when you get old."

She grunted softly in her sleep.

"Trying to talk already. Curious little thing, aren't you. You're just like your mother was when she was younger," Jude smiled as his grandchild before turning to Natsu. "How is Lucy?"

"Fine. She's taking a nap right now," Natsu smiled. "She was incredible!"

"I'm sure," Jude nodded. "Her mother was too."

He looked back at Nashi. The girl stirred, yawned, and opened her eyes. Jude gasped. They were the same chocolate brown that Lucy's were. That Layla's had been. She cooed as she looked up at him, her tiny face brightening with curiosity as she stared up at him. He smiled. Yes, he had been a fool. This little girl was just like any other baby. Whatever powers she had been born with were simply that, powers she'd been born with. They didn't define her. She was an innocent, bright, hopeful new life. One, he knew, would grow to change the world for the better. He turned and looked at Natsu, who was watching his daughter with a soft smile on his face.

"Thank you," he said.

"Hm?" Natsu asked, not paying attention.

"Thank you."

"Huh?"

"For taking care of my daughter," Jude answered. "And giving me my grand daughter."

"Don't mention it," Natsu waved. "Just doing my job is all."

Nashi began shifting and turning her head towards Natsu's voice.

"Did you hear something, Nashi?" Jude chuckled.

Nashi finally managed to get her head turned to face Natsu, who smiled brightly at her. "Hey, baby."

Nashi began to whimper.

"Oh, dear. Do you want your father?" Jude asked as Nashi continued to cry.

"Aw, c'mere sweetie," Natsu said as he took her back and began rocking her. Nashi quieted the minute she was back in her father's arms.

"Already a Daddy's girl, I see," Jude chuckled.

Natsu's smile widened as he watched her suck on her fist. "Looks like it."

"Can we see her now?" Happy shouted from the other side of the room.

"Happy, sh!" Carla scolded but Natsu nodded and motioned with his head.

"Sure, come on over."

The two exceeds flew over at the speed of light, as Wendy was forced to limp her way to the bed.

"She's so tiny! She's even smaller than I am!" Happy cried when he saw her.

"Well, most human babies are," Carla beamed.

Nashi cooed and reached out a hand towards her. Carla took it, gasping slightly. Her vision, the good version of the future, this is what she had seen. A tiny hand clasping around her paw as a tiny, pink haired baby smiled at her. A small sigh of relief escaped her. If she was seeing this, that meant that the other version she'd seen, the bad one, was not to come to past. The child was safe. They were all safe.

"She's so cute! Can I hold her?" Wendy asked.

"Sure," Natsu began to pass Nashi to her, but the minute Nashi was laid in Wendy's arms she began crying.

"Uh-oh, it's okay," Wendy said, gently patting Nashi's back.

"Like I said, Daddy's girl," Jude chuckled.

"Baby, I'm right here," Natsu took the Nashi's hand in his. She latched onto his finger and fussed all the louder until Natsu finally relented and took her back.

"Alright, alright. Sheesh, already being difficult just like your mom," he turned to the four adults sitting around him. "Don't tell Lucy I said that."

Nashi immediately stopped crying the minute Natsu craddled her back against his chest.

"Sorry, Wendy, guess she doesn't want to visit," Natsu apologized.

"No, it's okay," Wendy assured him. "It's kinda sweet she wants to stay with you, actually."

"Aye," Happy agreed as he set a paw on Nashi's back. "We'll have time to hang out later, won't we Nashi?"

Nashi grunted as she nuzzled closer against Natsu. He began rocking her and humming softly. Nashi's eyelids began to droop. Everyone watched on quietly as she slowly fell asleep. The room was so quiet, they could hear Makarov making his announcemnt in the main room:

"This week our Fairy Tail family has grown by four!"

A loud cheer broke out.

"AS we all know there is no one definition for family. Some of us are related by blood, some by heart, some are born into our families, and some are found. Such is the case with out four newest arrivals. Though three of our new members are resting, I'm sure you'll be happy to meet one of our little ones. Please welcome our newly found family member: Farrah Rei Lee-Dreyar!"

Another cheer broke out.

"Normally we'd wait until you're a little older for this, but seeing as you were brave and strong enough to give Ivan a good thrashing, I'd say you earned your Fairy Tail mark."

"Really?" Farrah's oice squealed.

Natsu chuckled as he listened on.

"Of course. Where do you want it, and what color?"

"I want it on my leg like Mama! And I want it yellow like lightning because I'm gonna be a lightning dragon slayer like Papa!"

"Oh, is she?" Natsu asked, surprised.

"Yup, she's already begun training with Laxus," Wendy answered.

"Aye!" Happy confirmed. "She's really good for such a little girl."

"Well, what do you know?" Natsu said, impressed.

"Now, though you can't meet them yet, I'm sure you are all happy to hear of the safe arrival of our three newly born family members: Storm Gray Fullbuster, Cato Makarov Dreyar, and Nashi Lucy Dragneel."

Another loud cheer broke out. Nashi grunted and stirred in her sleep.

"Hear that, Nashi?" Natsu asked. "They're cheering for you, baby girl." He kissed the top of her head. "They already love you. We all do. Though none of them will ever love you as much as Mommy and I do."

 **AN: Farrah's last name before the adoption was Lee. Laxus and Mirajane let her keep it so she could honor her birthparents with it.**

 ** _Don't be afraid to leave reviews! Even negative feedback is feedback (Just don't be a troll, 'kay?)_**

 ** _God Bless!_**


	36. Epilogue

**Epilogue: One year Later...**

"What are the odds that they would both go into labor the day of our three's first birthday?" Gray asked as he sat at a table with Juvia, Natsu, Lucy, Laxus, and Mirajane. The guild hall was particularly busy today. Everyone had come as soon as they heard the news.

"Right?" Lucy asked. "Crazy, isn't it."

"And this is also the day our adoption of Farrah was finalized," Mirajane added. "So going forward we will have one gotcha-day and five birthdays all on the same day."

"Well, it'll make keeping up with dates easier," Gray said as he lifted his mug to his lips, only to stop midsip and do a quick turn and bend that only a parent could do.

"Ah, ah, ah! Storm, don't put that in your mouth!"

"AH!" Storm yelled in protest as he tried to crawl away from his father, who promptly caught him by the wasit and lifted him into his lap.

"Give me that. How'd you even get a hold of a salt shaker?"

"No!" Storm shouted as he tried to grab the shaker from his father.

"You've got a whole blanket of toys right there," Gray pointed to the blue, black, and white blanket with several blocks, stuffed animals, and chew rings on it. "Go chew on one of those."

He set his son down, only to have Storm tug at his pants and whine.

"AH!" he pointed to where Gray had put the salt shaker.

"All those toys, and you want-you know what, fine, lick it."

Gray held the shaker down. Storm put his mouth on it then recoiled and grimaced, plopping onto his bottom as he lost balance.

"See? Yucky," Gray said as he set the shaker aside. "I'll wash that in a minute Mira," he turned back to his son. "Go chew on your toys."

Storm grimaced again and shook his head. "Bleck!" he shouted.

"Uh-huh. 'Bleck!' But you wouldn't listen, so there you go," Gray shook his head as the other parents laughed at him. "He won't listen if you just tell him 'no.' Gotta let him get a mouthful of salt before he'll listen."

"Bleck!" Storm cried again.

"Mm-hmm," Gray mumbled.

Storm began crying. Gray turned.

"What is it now?"

Storm pointed towards the blanket. Nashi was seated upon it, holding one of the blocks in her hands.

"No!" Storm pouted.

"Well, you weren't playing with them, don't get mad if she does," Gray said as Nashi set one of the blocks on top of the other. Or tried to. She couldn't quite center it up right, and the small tower fell over.

"Uh-oh!" she cried, her tiny, pink pigtails bouncing as she shook her head.

"Uh-oh?" Natsu turned at the sound of his daughter's voice.

Nashi picked the block up and held it out to Natsu. "Eh?" she inquired.

Natsu stood, walked over next to the blanket and sat down next to her.

"Can you stack it?" he asked, pointing to one of the blocks on the ground. Nashi reched to set the block in her hand in place. Natsu gently held her wrist, guiding her hand in place.

"There you go!" he cheered when the tower stayed up. Nashi beamed and clapped her hands.

"Yay!" Natsu cheered also clapping his hands before picking up another block. "Here, do this one next."

Lucy smiled as she watched the two play, Natus gently guiding her hand the whole time.

"No!" Storm crawled, infuriated towards the two. He pulled himself up on Natsu's vest and began beating his tiny fist against his shoulder.

"Storm, don't hit!" Juvia scolded.

Natsu turned to the little boy. "What up, Storm?"

"Ah!"

"Here, you wanna make one?" He picked up a handful of blocks and set them at Storm's feet. The little boy plopped onto his bottom and reached to grab one. Nashi let out a sound of protest.

"You've got plenty," Natsu pointed to the pile in front of her. Nashi stood up and toddled towards her father, stumbling clumsily into is chest.

"Da-da," she called, tugging at his vest.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Da-da, eh?" she pointed back to her tower of blocks.

"Yeah, I see it. Good job!"

Storm began straining to place his block on top of another. Just as he had done with Nashi, Natsu helped Storm place his to where it wouldn't fall.

"No! Ma Da-da!" Nashi tugged at Natsu's vest.

"You already made one, I'm helping Storm now," he said, scooping her into one of his arms as he kept helping Storm with the other.

"Eh!" Nashi shook her head in protest.

"Oh, you jealous little stinker," Natsu poked her in the belly causing her to giggle. Lucy's smiled brightened.

"Farrah, be careful with him!" Mira's voice rang out. Natsu turned to see Farrah holding Cato by each of his hands as he shakily set on foot in front of the other. Nashi turned towards him and pointed.

"Ah!"

"You wanna go play with Cato?" Natsu asked.

"Ah!"

"Go on," he set her down on her feet so she could toddle towards the two Dreyar children. "Go show him how it's done."

Lucy watched her daughter toddle off with a wide smile. She'd grown and changed so much in the past year! A lot had changed.

Gajeel and Levy got married a month after Nashi had been born.

A week after that Elfman and Evergreen announced their engagement.

Two months after that Erza found out she was pregnant.

Three days after that Levy was shocked to find out that she too was expecting.

Three months following that Romeo finally got up the courage to ask Wendy out.

Sting and Yukino got married the month after that.

Lisanna and Bickslow begun dating the month after that.

Now here they were, Nashi, Storm, and Cato's first birthday and both Erza and Levy had gone into labor. Their Fairy Tail family just seemed to keep growing, and they were all happy for it.

"I'm heeerreee!" a warm voice called from the doors. Lucy turned and smiled as Jude walked towards their table, a white box in his hands.

"Hey, Pops!" several voices rang out. Jude smiled and waved to all of them. After the old Heartfelia Manor had been renovated into a recovery center, Jude took over as the head manager. It amazed her how much her father had changed. He'd gone from being a cold-hearted, tight-fisted business mongrel in her childhood, to a warm-hearted, grandfatherly figure who spent his days organizing events and home-cooked meals for the injured and down-trodden. He made sure to make frequent trips to Magnolia, though, to visit her, Natsu, and Nashi. Today was one of his visits, special for Nashi's brithday.

"Cake?" Farrah asked, excited at the box in Jude's hand.

"Of course!" Jude said as he sat down next to Lucy. "What's a gotcha day or birthday without cake."

"Make sure you let him sit down before you let go," Mirajane instructed.

Farrah gently lowered Cato to the ground and skipped towards Jude. Mira stood up to collect her son into her arms and carry him back to the table. Natsu stood, setting Storm on one hip before chasing down a toddling Nashi and scooping her up as well.

"C'mere, speedy," he said as he picked her up.

Lucy chuckled. Nashi had proven to be an early bloomer: teething, crawling, walking, and talking much earlier than Storm or Cato.

Natsu passed Storm to Juvia before sitting down next to Lucy, Nashi in his lap.

"Let's see what we've got," Jude said as he began opening the box, Farrah bouncing excitedly over his shoulder.

"Cupcakes!" she jumped higher and with more excitement.

"Yes. And we've got a yellow one for Farrah," Jude held it out to the little girl. "Don't eat it yet, we've gotta do candles."

"Okay," Farrah said as she took it in her hand and then sat down in Laxus' lap.

"And we've got a pink one for Nashi," he set the cupcake infront of the little girl, who began reaching for it, but Natsu stopped her.

"No, not yet."

"A blue one for Storm. And a purple one for Cato."

He pulled out four candles, setting one in each cupcake. Natsu lit them and they all began to sing.

"Happy birth-gotchaday to you! Happy birth-gotchaday to you! Happy birth-gothca-day to you Farrah, Nashi, Storm, and Cato! Happy birth-gotchaday to you!"

Farrah blew her candle out, though the three babies needed help with theirs. Farrah immediately began stuffing her face, the icing dying her face as yellow as the mark on her left, lower thigh. Cato, however, seemed more interested in painting the table with the icing than eating it.

"Cato, yummy, eat it," Mirajane placed some on her finger and put it on her son's lip. He licked it up with enjoyment, but still kept finger painting.

"Cato," Mirajane repeated the process. Cato licked it up again. Only now he began smacking his lips at Mira's fingers for more.

"That's the same stuff you're painting with, silly!" she giggled.

Storm seemed confused by his, just staring at it, and cocking his head from one side to the other.

"Eat it, buddy," Gray encouraged.

"Eat it, like this," Juvia gently poked at the icing with her finger. Storm followed suit, but his eyes grew wide when he got the icing all over his hand. He shook it, but the icing didn't come off. He shuddered, whined, and cried as he held his hand out to his parents.

"Oh, he doesn't like being messy," Juvia crooned.

"I don't blame you buddy, here, eat it," Gray placed the boy's hand against his mouth. Storm smacked, enjoying the taste, but still whining at the mess on his hand.

Nashi kept trying to grab at her cupcake throughout the whole song. When Natsu finally let her grab it she took two huge handfuls of icing and stuffed them in her face, getting more on her cheeks than in her mouth.

"You like that?" Natsu asked as she smacked her lips. She grinned brightly and the slammed her whole face into the cupcake, smashing it as she chewed at it. Everyone burst into laughter.

"My girl!" Natsu cheered as Nashi looked up, face and hair covered in cake.

"We're never going to get you clean," Lucy laughed as she tried to pick cake pieces out of Nashi's hair. Nashi giggled taking more handfuls of cake and stuffing them into her mouth.

"That's certainly one way to do it," Laxus chuckled. "Glad it's your kid and not my-Oh, no. Cato!"

Cato, who had been watching Nashi decided to follow her initiative and also shoved his face into his cupcake.

Storm just watched the two with wide eyes, and shook his head.

"Bleck!"

"Yeah, they're crazy aren't they, buddy?" Gray asked as he ruffled his son's hair.

"Pops, can I have some more?" Farrah asked. How Jude had started being known as "Pops" to everyone in the guild besides Lucy and Makarov, Lucy would never know, but Jude didn't seem to mind.

"Afraid I don't have anymore, but I do have this," he reached into the bag at his side and pulled out a yellow wrapped box. Farrah gasped as she ran and snatched it up, tearing it open.

"A pony!" she cried as she held up the stuffed toy.

"What do you say, Farrah?" Laxus asked.

"Thank you!" Farrah threw her arms around Jude's neck.

"You're welcome. And, uh, I'll give those three theirs after they've had a bath."

Everyone chuckled in agreement. Lucy shook her head as she looked down at her still messy Nashi. Nashi suddenly looked straight up, seemingly at nothing, and laughed and clapped. She did this often. Lucy followed her daughter's stream of vision but saw nothing. She wondered if Nashi was seeing one of the titans when she did this.

So far none of her powers had surfaced. Not that it was surprising. She was just now one. The only signs she was different from any other child was how quickly she reached milestones (which wasn't all that unusual in the grand scheme of things) and these times that she began staring at things that no one else could see.

A revving noise came from overhead. Lucy looked up through the skylight of the guild hall. A Rune Knight Airship flew over head. She frowned as it passed over. They'd started doing this atleast once every two weeks since Ivan's defeat and Nashi's birth. Though Jura continually assured them that Hezim had nothing to act upon against them, it still made her wonder what would happen once Nashi's powers did surface. Granted, as long as Nashi didn't hurt anything or anyone she should be fine, but given Fairy Tail's track record of damage that was likely not going to fly. Still, it wasn't like Fairy Tail hadn't explained their ways out of situations before. She was sure in the end they'd be fine.

The hall grew quiet. Everyone turned to see Polyusica walking down the hall, bag in hand. She stopped at where Makarov was sitting atop the bar and whispered in his ear. Lisanna, who had been tending to drinks leaned in to listen. Makarov beamed, then burst into laguhter.

"You're kidding!"

"Why would I joke about that," Polyusica grumbled as she stomped out. Everyone turned to Makarov, eager to hear the news. The old man stood, chuckling as he raised his hand for the announcement.

"Our Fairy Tail Family has grown once again," he chuckled again before annoucing. "By three."

"THREE?!" everyone shouted.

"Wait, did I miss something? I though just Levy and Erza were giving birth," Natsu said.

"Obviously one of them had twins," Gray rolled his eyes.

"Please help me in welcoming our newest family members: Persephone Sterling Redfox AND Koree Mercury Redfox…"

"Twin girls!?" Mirajane exclaimed as Natsu and Gray began snickering.

"Oh, my gosh! Mr. Metalhead has two baby girls!? BAHAHAHA! Imagine the glitter and nail polish he'll have to endure!" Natsu chortled.

"I'm so glad I had a boy," Gray guffawed.

"...and Roman Robert Fernandez!"

"Oh, a boy!" Juvia cheered. "I'm so happy for them! Boys are so much fun."

"I bet Jellal's beside himself," Lucy beamed.

"I'll bet they all are," Jude agreed.

"Oh, I can't wait to meet them!" Juvia cheered.

Nashi clapped her hands as everyone cheered, though she was still looking at something in front of her.

Lucy watched intently.

"What do you see, baby girl?"

Nashi babbled clapping her hands. She then held one out in a grabbing motion. Lucy's brow furrowed as she watched. Then she gasped as a tiny, pink flame appeared in Nashi's outstretched palm.

 **AN:** **Welp, that's all this story. Don't worry, I'm already planning a sequel, but I'm still rather early in the outlinging stages so if you've got suggestions or requests leave them in the comments and I'll look at them. Can't make promises that I can get to all of them but I'll try.**

 **Thank you all so much for the amazing feedback! I'm fairly new to this fandom (I was late hopping aboard the band wagon) so I was really nervous in posting this, but you have all been fantastic and so supportive so thank you, so, so, so much.**

 **Also, let me know if you want to see a one-shot series following the kiddos and their misadventures. They wouldn't be in any particular order, just random scenes of their lives.**

 **That's all I got, as always don't be afraid to leave a review, negative feedback is still feedback, just no trolling. I will delete your comment if you troll me.**

 **Bye for now!**


End file.
